Government’s early prison release plan threatens to add significant pressure to police

“The crisis in the prison system is alarming, although unsurprising. The prison estate is largely antiquated, with many of our inner-city prisons first built by the Victorians,” he said.

“This, combined with under-resourcing, reduced prison staff and overcrowding, highlights that the modern prison system has been unfit for decades.

“The current government’s policy of early release was inevitable, however, it requires very careful risk management and will create additional pressures within the probation service, police offender management systems, local authorities, housing and social care.

“Shockingly, over a third of prisoners released from custody go on to commit further offences within 12 months, which indicates a real need for change within the criminal justice system as it currently stands if we are to consistently break the miserable cycle of custody, reoffending and the ‘warehousing’ of prisoners until their release dates.”

Professor Winch added: “The recent riots have further brought the crisis into sharp relief within the eyes of the public, who are entitled to ask questions – not only about the risks of prisoner early releases but the capability of the broader criminal justice system to protect communities.

“To fix the problem we need long-term reforms and financial investment. We know that the upcoming budget is likely to be highly restrictive for public sector spending however the costs of crime, prisoner upkeep and particularly re-offending are exponential both in terms of finance and the suffering of victims.

“To reduce reoffending, we need to embrace the benefits of dedicated employability and training programmes that can reduce reoffending rates to two per cent. In addition, we require more support for mental health services and a greater focus on offender management by the police.”