Second wave of prisoners to get early release despite fears sex offenders included

Former home secretary Priti Patel has called for the early release scheme to be suspended after fears that sex offenders and violent criminals are being let out

More than a thousand extra prisoners are set to be freed early this week as the Government puts the latest stage of its plan to ease jail overcrowding into action (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

The government is to go ahead with the early release of around 1,000 more prisoners despite calls for the second tranche to be suspended.

A source close to justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has insisted that the second wave of early releases will go ahead with some criminals only serving 40 per cent of their sentence despite concerns being raised over public safety.

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel led calls for the early release scheme to be suspended after raising issues about sex offenders and violent criminals being allowed out early.

Lib Dem justice spokesman Josh Babarinde had also tried to raise an urgent question in Parliament on the issue but his request was turned down by the speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

Former home secretary Dame Priti Patel (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

The early releases were forced on the new Labour government because of an overcrowding crisis in Britain’s jails. At one point it is thought that the prison system was down to its last 100 places.

But early releases are supposed to exclude sex offenders and those involved in domestic abuse. However, there have been concerns that the system has not been able to identify all those in that category.

One offender Amari Ward, 31, released in the first wave in September, sexually assaulted a woman on the day of his release.

Dame Priti called for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to suspend the early release of prisoners following reports of those already released under the scheme reoffending and a lack of data published by the MoJ on reoffending rates, prison recalls and support for victims.

The former home secretary has written to Ms Mahmood to raise concerns with this measure as well as fears that dangerous criminals and those responsible for sexual violence and domestic abuse could still be released early.

Dame Priti said: “With thousands of prisoners being released early, including those responsible for serious violent crimes, it’s shocking that the government has failed to provide any assessment of the impact on public safety by those already released.

Shabana Mahmood will go ahead with the early releases (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

“Over the last few weeks since the early release scheme began, we know there have been criminals released who have committed further crimes and victims are feeling frightened and let down. Until the government have been clear about the impact and put enhanced measures in to protect the public, they should suspend their plans to let thousands more offenders out onto our streets.”

But a source close to the justice secretary insisted that the releases will go ahead.

“If it didn't, we would be back in the crisis that her government left us with a few months ago. Exactly the kind of shortsightedness that characterised the Tories in government,” they said.