The "shocking" prisons crisis is even worse than feared, Keir Starmer has said, as the government prepares to release tens of thousands of inmates early to stop jails becoming full.
The prime minister suggested he was opposed to freeing violent criminals and sex offenders as ministers prepared to announce the terms of a new prisoner release scheme for England and Wales tomorrow. The Guardian understands they are examining whether domestic abusers can be excluded.
The scheme is expected to allow early release for those who have served 40% of their sentence, instead of 50% under current rules for inmates serving determinate sentences. Whitehall sources say this could lead to the release of more than 20,000 people over many months.
The former Tory justice secretary Alex Chalk is understood to have pushed Rishi Sunak for months to change those rules, but the then prime minister is said by insiders to have repeatedly overruled him, believing it would be politically toxic and numbers could be managed within existing systems.
Speaking to reporters on a trip to the Nato summit in the US, Starmer said the Conservative government had been reckless in letting prisons come within a fortnight of reaching overflow. "It is shocking for our country to have got into a state where we have too many prisoners and not enough prison places," he said. "To a point where any government is now in a position where it has to release prisoners early. That is a shocking indictment. That is a total failure of government."
This story is from the July 11, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 11, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Prendergast plays hero in Ireland's historic triumph
Ireland secured their first Twenty20 win against England yesterday, completing a record run chase off the penultimate ball after Mady Villiers attempted to force a run-out, missed the stumps and allowed the two Irish batters to run an overthrow.
British hopes end with double defeat to Canada
Dan Evans and Jack Draper fall to straight-sets losses in front of record home crowd.
Set-piece killer Jover part of mania for detail that separates the Gunners from Tottenham
Yes, well, of course that was going to happen. Ange Postecoglou has a particular manner on the touchline, a way of standing in the same spot for long periods of time, fists bunched in his pockets, a little hangdog and sad, like a long-suffering dad at sports day.
Explainer What the charges against City mean
As an independent commission prepares to assess the 115 charges, here is everything you need to know
Barnes' blast sinks stumbling Wolves as Howe calls for 'unity'
If there is a civil war raging in the background, it seems to be suiting Newcastle very well.
Piastri edges Baku battle as Norris closes on Verstappen
Engrossing and impossibly tense, Formula One might consider itself flattered if the final third of this season delivers with the same compelling drama as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
In the running Coe faces almighty fight to become IOC president - but write him off at your peril
While most Britons were demolishing the last of the Christmas turkey in 1979, Sebastian Coe ran 14.4 miles up the Derwent Valley, defying everything that nature and the elements dared to throw at him.
Airport expansion Operators hope plans will fly with pro-growth Labour
The younger, tormented minister considering his position before the Labour government granted Heathrow's third runway in 2009 might have been greatly relieved to know that, 15 years later, not a shovel would have touched the ground.
England's north-south gap in rents shrinks to 11-year low
The gap in rents paid by those in the north and south of England has closed to its lowest level in at least 11 years, figures show.
Fight drown as epic’ floods sweep central and eastern Europe
Eight people have drowned in Austria, Poland and Romania with four others reported missing in the Czech Republic as Storm Boris continues to lash central and eastern Europe, bringing torrential rain and floods that have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes.