Prisons crisis: 1,700 prisoners released early amidst concerns whether probation service can cope

Concerns have been raised about the probation service’s ability to cope with the early release of 1,700 prisoners today.

In July, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to cut the proportion of sentences inmates must serve behind bars from 50 per cent to 40 per cent in a bid to ease overcrowding.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

HMP Leeds, the second largest prison in the region, was 99 per cent full, as was HMP Wakefield, the category A prison known as Monster Mansion.

However, concerns have been raised about how the probation service will cope with release and stop further reoffending.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Yasmeen Sebbana, an associate director at think tank Public First, wrote a report on the prisons crisis with the Community Trade Union earlier in the year.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood. Credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA WireLord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood. Credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood. Credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire | Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

“In order for rehabilitation to work you have to have staff who are able, and have capacity, to provide that level of rehabilitation,” she told the Yorkshire Post.

“Vocational training is seriously lacking in a lot of prisons, which makes a huge difference in people leaving.

“On top of this, there are lots of practical resettlement issues, where people are being released homeless and without a mobile phone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“When that happens, no matter how rehabilitated you are in prison, if you are being released homeless and miles away from your support network, rehabilitation is not going to work.”

Ms Sebbana said that reforms brought in by the coalition government left the probation service “broken”.

“People who could be put on probation and would benefit from that level of punishment are not being given sentences in the community … because judges don’t feel confident in the probation service to provide that,” she explained.

“When they are ready to leave prison - there is often a complete breakdown between even just the resettlement plan of leaving prison and meeting their named probation worker. 

“That doesn’t even work in the first place.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She added that the “link between the prisons and the probation service has been so damaged”, causing issues with both rehabilitation and resettlement.

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner has also said that victims of domestic violence will be having “sleepless nights” with the early release scheme.

Nicole Jacobs also suggested some victims may not be aware of the situation and could be “put in danger” as a result of the plan.

There are exemptions from the scheme, including for domestic abusers who are convicted of stalking and coercive control or break protection orders, but there has been concern that those who were charged with crimes like assault could be released.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted on Saturday there were “safeguards in place” in relation to high-risk prisoners, including those convicted of domestic violence-related offences.

A No10 spokeswoman said: “The government has prioritised public protection which is why these plans have enabled the probation service to have much longer to prepare and to create release plans unlike the previous scheme which was deployed with almost no notice.

“For weeks now teams across the criminal justice system have been working together to prepare, and we will also be bringing in 1,000 new trainee probation officers … by the end of March.”

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice