THE early release of more than 1,700 prisoners begins today to free more space in a prison system that is dangerously close to capacity. Last week the number of prisoners was over 88,500, a record number. The question now is whether the probation and support services are capable of supporting them after their release; the short answer is no. It is this aspect of the criminal justice system that urgently needs to be addressed — in addition to the calamitous delays in the court system which mean that over 16,600 prisoners on remand are awaiting trial. This is a scandal about which the Prime Minister, former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, knows more than anyone.
There are political risks in early release. If even one of the individuals allowed back into society commits a murder, the public will know who to blame. Yet we should bear in mind that almost all prisoners serve only half of their sentences at present. The difference between serving 40 and 50 per cent of their time is significant, but not transformative. At present, almost one in three prisoners commits a crime on release, usually within a year, and has to go back to prison. We can expect the same of this cohort.
