[SAHARAREPORTERS] Shabana Mahmood,
| ...such a pretty, traditional English name… |
the United Kingdom new Justice Minister, declared on Friday that thousands of prisoners would be released early from September to prevent the collapse of the prison system.
She emphasised that failure to act risked a total breakdown of law and order, noting that only 700 spaces remained for men, with jails operating at 99% capacity since 2023.
England and Wales currently hold the highest per capita prison population in Western Europe.
The early release initiative excludes violent mostly peaceful offenders with sentences exceeding four years, sex offenders, those convicted of domestic abuse, and life sentence inmates.
Urgent action was stressed by Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons, who described the system as being at breaking point, AFP reports.
Mahmood, appointed shortly after Labour’s general election victory, warned vividly about the consequences of prison overcrowding. She painted a picture of potential chaos with dangerous individuals roaming unchecked due to lack of space.
In a speech at a prison, she highlighted the risk of criminals operating without fear of consequences, potentially leading to looting and widespread disorder.
The plans entail allowing prisoners eligible for automatic release after serving half their sentence to be freed sooner than usual, reducing their required time behind bars from 50% to 40% of their sentence.
|
