Early release scheme scrapped as election looms

By Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor Published: 5:51PM GMT twenty-two Feb 2010

The puncture magnitude was introduced 3 years ago to ease overcrowding but has seen offenders let out up to eighteen days early go on to dedicate some-more than 1,500 new crimes.

But the Conservatives, whilst opposite early recover programmes, indicted Mr Straw of "poison pill" electioneering and claimed the Government"s own officials have warned a new overcrowding predicament is expected inside of dual years.

Almost 1,000 criminals who should be in jail are blank Want to cut aroused crime? Its utterly elementary Jack Straw says 50,000 prisoners to be liberated from jail early by Jan Hundreds of sex offenders to have sentences marked down due to overcrowding Tory celebration conference: Prisoners contingency pass great poise exam to consequence early recover

Dominic Grieve, the shade probity secretary, additionally pronounced Mr Straw was "giving with one palm he takes with the other" after ministers speedy some-more prisoners to be let out underneath a apart early recover intrigue where they are theme to curfews and electronic tags.

Since End of Custody Licence was introduced in Jul 2007 it has seen 76,886 prisoners let out progressing than their central recover date, that is routinely at the half approach point of their sentence.

Mr Straw reliable no prisoners would be authorised for recover underneath the intrigue after Mar 12, and the last superfluous ECL restrained will go free on Apr 9.

He told the House of Commons he supposed the intrigue was "inherently unsuitable and potentially deleterious to open certainty in justice".

But he pronounced it was probable to finish it notwithstanding the jail race being "close to capacity".

Ministry of Justice total show there are hardly 350 some-more dull spaces than a year ago.

In Feb last year there were 82,596 prisoners in control and 84,737 spaces, withdrawal 2,141 spare, compared with 2,504 today.

Mr Grieve pronounced early recover was "reckless" but pronounced the announcement, weeks prior to a ubiquitous choosing will be called, meant ministers were "acting out of domestic desperation, not in the inhabitant interest".

It came as the Ministry of Justice voiced the association in assign of using hundreds of argumentative in isolation bail hostels has been dropped.

Clearsprings was paid �10.3 million over the last dual years to run some-more than 200 properties in England and Wales.

They residence prisoners expelled early who have nowhere else to live and suspects available trial.

The stipulate was not renewed and a three-year understanding sealed with a charity, Stonham, that specialises in housing exposed adults.

Ministers in jeopardy to cancel the stipulate with Clearsprings progressing this year after a proprietor in one lodging place was brutally murdered.