UK Prime Minister Attends the 79th United Nations General Assembly (Image: Getty)
The Prime Minister has said it is “deeply regrettable” that dozens of prisoners were let out early by mistake.
It was revealed today that around 37 people were released in error on September 10, because their offences for breaching restraining orders had been wrongly logged under old legislation.
This meant they were not flagged as not suitable for early release.
At least one of the prisoners remains at large, while others let out early included one who went on to commit a sexual offence shortly after securing his freedom.
He told reporters in New York: “It’s deeply regrettable that they were released.
“As I understand it to do with the classification under old legislation and I think all bar one are back in custody.
“But of course, I’m concerned, and we’ll ensure that all victims have the support that they need.”
The Ministry of Justice has now confirmed that all further planned releases of offenders affected by this issue have been halted, and guidance has been issued to staff to ensure future releases are accurate. The department is not aware of this issue affecting other offences, reports the Mirror.
Following Labour’s ascent to power, Shabana Mahmood announced a radical policy that would see prisoners released after serving just 40% of their sentences, down from the current halfway mark, lamenting it as an “emergency measure” needed “to avert a disaster”.
She slammed the Tory Government for allowing prisons in England and Wales to reach breaking point with overcrowding issues.
The Labour minister cautioned that without immediate action, the prisons could overflow, potentially leaving police powerless to make arrests and leading to widespread chaos with “looters running amok, smashing in windows, robbing shops and setting neighbourhoods alight”.
However, this emergency early release scheme won’t apply to everyone. Those serving time for grave violence or sexual crimes, specifically if their sentences exceed four years, are ruled out, along with domestic abuse offenders who’ve violated restraining orders.
Countering Labour’s stance, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson emphasized the commitment to public safety, stating: “Public safety is our first priority. That is why we took decisive action to fix the broken prison system we inherited and keep the most dangerous offenders locked up.
This included blocking the early release of domestic abuse offences such as stalking and controlling behaviour.”