Posted on 01/24/2007 4:16:12 AM PST by Stoat
Desperate ministers will beg judges to stop sending criminals to prisons - because they are full.
A letter will be sent to courts across the country admitting that jails are officially in crisis.
It pleads for only the most violent or dangerous criminals to be given a custodial sentence. Magistrates are also being asked to allow bail to all but the most serious crime suspects.
The letter, signed by Home Secretary John Reid, Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer and Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, is the first in a series of drastic steps likely over the next few weeks.
The most dramatic option is to order the early release of thousands of inmates sentenced to 12 months or less.
The Home Secretary has been struggling since last summer to contain the overcrowding crisis - caused by the Government ignoring repeated advice to build more prisons - but it is now escalating rapidly.
On Monday alone, nearly 300 more prisoners were sent down by the courts than were released, pushing the jail population to almost 80,000.
Mr Reid, Lord Falconer and Lord Goldsmith have met senior judges to explain that the system is now in meltdown. It was agreed that the three Ministers would circulate a 'communique' to the entire criminal justice system. It calls on the courts to jail only the worst criminals - effectively freeing thousands who would normally have been put behind bars.
In cases where judges and magistrates are considering a term of 12 months or less, they are 'reminded' they could use a community sentence instead. Magistrates are also urged to consider bail instead of remanding suspects such as burglars. Around 13,000 suspects are in custody awaiting trial.
Mr Reid paved the way for his move when he said recently that taxpayers' money should not be 'squandered' on locking up or monitoring offenders who would be better punished in the community. But having to plead with the courts is still a humiliation for the Home Secretary and leaves Labour's pledge to be tough on crime in tatters.
Home Office ministers have been warned repeatedly by their officials that the jail population was growing rapidly, but have failed to provide sufficient extra places. Mr Reid has belatedly promised 8,000 more - but none will be available until spring. In the meantime, hundreds of criminals are locked in police cells at a cost of £365 each a day.
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said last night: "It is outrageous that sentences are being dictated by the prison capacity and not by the crime committed.
"Yet again we see the public being put at risk by the failure of ministers. How much longer must the public pay the price of Gordon Brown's miserliness and John Reid's incompetence?
"John Reid must say what he intends to do about this crisis, and not rely on his usual tactic of dreaming up an unworkable gimmick to try and deflect the bad headlines."
Home Office officials are hoping today's letter will buy Mr Reid some time to think of a politically-acceptable solution. But they fear he will be forced to take more drastic action as early as next week.
The 'nuclear option' is the early release of thousands of inmates sentenced to a year or less. They would not even be placed under supervision, simply be told they were free to go. Mr Reid wants to avoid this at all costs, fearing it would instantly wreck his reputation for toughness and demolish any hopes of a challenge for the Labour leadership.
Less dramatic, but still highly damaging, would be an extension in the use of releasing inmates on tags. Other plans include letting as many as 30,000 criminals serving up to four years walk free ten days before their sentences would normally end. This was suggested by officials last year, but blocked by the Home Secretary and Downing Street.
Mr Reid is also likely to try to move foreign prisoners awaiting deportation decisions into immigration holding centres, and his officials are trying to acquire prison ships
Please say a prayer for our Dear British Friends
Their leaders have failed them in the most basic task of Government
They will quite likely face a dramatic increase in crime, violence and mayhem in their communities, and they deserve far better than such a fate.
May God protect them
Just exactly why are the prisons full?
Could it be that overzealous legislators have made just about everything a criminal act?
Too many laws for too many trivial offenses just for feel good effect.
Thanks for understanding.
Given that Blair is something of a hero with American conservatives for standing alongside them in the WOT, (something I support and also credit Blair with) it is hard to remember that his govenment in the UK is liberal/left and been in power 10 years and has done the country much harm.
This lack of investment in prisons has been seen for some time but they have done nothing and are now in a mess on crime and security on several fronts.
Ho Hum, but us Brits are a longsuffering bunch.
regards to you and yours
Why don't they just outsource their prisoners to Turkey?The Turks could use the money and crime would go down in Britain.
It would be cheaper to put them up in a luxury hotel.
Percentage-wise the uk incarcerates at 1/4 the us rate. The streets are safer here for a reason.
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