Minister says authorities ‘as ready as we can be’ for more prisoner releases

By Nick Lester, Reporter21st October 2024News EnglandCourts / Justice, Custodial Care, Desistance, News England, Prisons / Offenders

The authorities are “as ready as we can be” for the next stage of early inmate releases to ease the jail overcrowding crisis, a justice minister has said.

Speaking in Parliament, Lord Timpson pointed out although “not perfect”, the implementation period for the emergency measure allowed steps to be taken to help reduce the risk of re-offending.

The Labour frontbencher (pictured) made his remarks as around 1,100 inmates were due to be released on Tuesday as the policy, known as SDS40, was expanded to those serving sentences of five years or more.

It follows the first release of around 1,700 prisoners from jails across England and Wales on September 10.

This came after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans in July to cut temporarily the proportion of sentences inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said overcrowding had pushed jails to the “point of collapse”.

A steady stream of eligible prisoners have been leaving jails under the changes ever since. The policy is expected to be reviewed within 18 months.

As the plan was rolled out, the prisons watchdog warned it was “inevitable” some would go on to re-offend as he branded the plan “risky”.

Pressed at Westminster over the threat of re-offending, Lord Timpson said the time permitted to introduce the scheme “allowed prison and probation staff properly to prepare for release, helping us to reduce the risk of re-offending”.

He added: “Planning for release includes having temporary accommodation for those at risk of homelessness, access to employment and continuity of mental health and substance misuse provision.”

Lord Timpson pointed out those released under the measure would be subject to strict licence conditions.

He said: “If offenders break those conditions or commit further crimes, they will be punished and could be immediately recalled to prison.”

The minister told peers: “We have inherited a system that is very difficult, in which far too many people are recalled. For the second SDS40 stage, we are as ready as we can be.”

But he added: “With the SDS40, we have had more time to plan these releases. While eight weeks is not perfect, it is far better than the previous early release scheme – so we are confident that these links are there and are working.

“One thing that I am confident of, having been around prisons for so long, is that, when you have prisons that are so full, it is difficult to make everything work as well as it should do.”