Hundreds of criminals are being freed from prisons across England and Wales today in the third wave of Labour’s early release scheme.
Among the 650 criminals being released under Labour’s controversial early release programme are those serving sentences of up to three years and two months.
A prisoner was seen smiling this morning as he left HMP Wandsworth in south-west London carrying three large holdall bags.
Under the controversial plan to ease prison overcrowding, inmates are being released after serving just a third of their sentence behind bars, rather than half.
At least 1,350 prisoners have left jail early since October 1 under the first two waves of the scheme.
Those serving even longer sentences will become eligible as the scheme is expanded each month, with the tenth and final phase in early June applying to those handed sentences of 12 years or more.
Figures show jails in England and Wales continue to operate at almost 98 per cent capacity despite the first wave of early releases last month.
The prison population stood at 87,033 yesterday, leaving just 1,951 places empty.
A Reform UK MP has said the party would deport foreign offenders ‘to their country of origin’ to address prison overcrowding.
Sarah Pochin, MP for Runcorn and Helsby in Cheshire, arrived outside Wandsworth prison as the third wave of early releases began this morning.
She said she was outside the prison because she felt ‘so strongly about the safety of women now at risk because of the early release of these prisoners, many of whom will be domestic violence perpetrators’.
A prisoner smiles as he walks out of HMP Wandsworth in south-west London
Michael Bogle, 38, stole more than £100 of washing powder from Sainsbury’s just 24 hours after being freed early from HMP Wandsworth
Asked how to tackle overcrowding in prisons, she said: ‘One very easy solution, which the Reform Party would do if we get into government next time, is to immediately empty all of our prisons of foreign national offenders.’
She added: ‘We would deport them back to their country of origin.’
Last month, Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley revealed his officers are arresting two or three offenders a week who have been set free from prison under the programme.
Police leaders say the situation will only get worse as more dangerous offenders are let out under Labour’s reforms.
‘I’m worried about the number of offenders being released into communities,’ Sir Mark told LBC radio.
‘At the moment we’re arresting two or three early release offenders a week who are being recalled to prison or doing further offending.
‘We’re getting increasing numbers of tag breaches to enforce that probation is sending to us. It’s now over 100 tag breaches a day in London – and rising.
‘So, we take them to court. We’re seeing 95 per cent plus of the tagging breaches that we arrest are simply being bailed back into the community on the same conditions. So, there is zero sanction.’
London shoplifter Michael Bogle, 38, stole more than £100 of washing powder from Sainsbury’s just 24 hours after being let out early.
He went on to shoplift a further £98.85 of detergent from Tesco over the next three days.
The 38-year-old was also seen entering a Sainsbury’s store three times to steal despite being banned from going near it.
Bogle, a registered sex offender, had served just 78 days for breaching a criminal behaviour order and a 32-week suspended sentence for shoplifting.
He was re-arrested and jailed for another eight months.
Ben Cockburn, chair of the National Association of Probation Officers (Napo), has warned that the scheme poses an ‘existential’ risk to the probation service.
He also revealed that Napo has asked ministers to put the entire service in special measures as it braces for a ‘once in a generation’ crisis.
Ministers have insisted measures are being put in place to keep the public safe despite so many offenders being released at the same time.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris has boasted of ‘the biggest expansion of tagging ever’ and plans for new ‘restriction zones’ limiting offenders’ movements with the help of GPS tracking.
But a report has previously found almost half of electronic tags are not fitted on time, leading to breaches of court and prison orders.
