Shabana Mahmood on Tory Legacy of Early Prisoner Releases

Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, has announced a policy change regarding the early release of prisoners due to the crisis left by the previous Tory government. The new measure allows some prisoners to be released a few weeks or months early, serving 40% of their sentence instead of the usual 50%. This decision was made to prevent the collapse of law and order, as the previous administration's negligence had brought the prison system to a breaking point. To ensure public safety, the government has excluded serious violent crimes, sexual offences, and domestic violence-related offences from this early release policy. Additionally, strict monitoring measures will be implemented for those released early, including the use of electronic tags and curfews. This approach aims to balance the need for prison reform with the imperative of protecting the public. In response to the challenges posed by the early release policy, the government is also increasing the number of probation officers by 1,000 to better manage offenders in the community. This move is part of a broader strategy to rebuild the prison system and address the issues of reoffending, which have plagued the justice system. Mahmood emphasized the importance of making difficult decisions to rectify the failures of the past government. The current administration is committed to building the promised prisons and implementing measures to transform offenders into better citizens, rather than allowing the cycle of reoffending to continue unchecked.