31500 Prisoners Released Early!

Over 31,500 prisoners, 6000 in the North West alone, including 592 from Forest Bank Prison in Salford and 926 from Strangeways (HMP Manchester), have been released early in the first year of the governments End of Custody Licence scheme!

The Government is failing in its most basic duty to protect the public. They refused to provide the necessary jail places and now they have released over 31,500 prisoners early onto the streets in a single year, including thousands of violent offenders.

One murder has already been committed when the offender should have been safely behind bars, other prisoners have been recalled for alleged crimes including assault and rape, and almost 100 suspects are still on the run.   The government won't even consider ending this scheme until the prison capacity has reached 86,000 in September next year, by which time almost 70,000 criminals will have been let out early. 

Is it no wonder that criminals carry on as thought there is no consequence to their crimes?  Is it no wonder that people, particularly the most vulnerable in our society, still feel afraid to go out at night?

This  disgraceful policy should be scrapped immediately.  If someone is sentenced to 6 months behind bars then it should mean 6 months, if someone is sentenced to 10 years then they should serve 10 years.  Then, and only then, will those who commit the crimes might think twice about doing it.

Posted by Cllr Andy Morgan (Hulton Ward)