Don’t Catch Any More Thieves—The Prisons Are FULL, Say Guards
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James Slack, Daily Mail (London), May 28, 2008
Inmate numbers have reached an all-time high as it emerged wanted criminals are being left free because there is no room for them in jail (file photo)
Inmate numbers have reached an all-time high as it emerged wanted criminals are being left free because there is no room for them in jail.
Prison guards warned yesterday that wanted criminals are not being rounded up because there is no room in jail—on the day the number of prisoners topped 83,000 for the first time.
Guards said the situation is so bad that police are delaying the execution of warrants for the arrest and imprisonment of bail-jumping burglars, thieves and other criminals.
The latest crisis follows a surge in prisoner numbers of more than 250 over the bank holiday weekend, which was marred by violent attacks.
Colin Moses, national chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said: ‘We currently have serious staff shortfalls throughout the service and as new places become available they are immediately filled.
‘I often ask myself, how many custodial warrants are outstanding because, as a prison place is available, a prisoner appears. So are the public really safe or are the police only executing warrants dependant on prison and police cell spaces?’
The dramatic increase in inmate numbers over the weekend—taking the total to around 83,070—leaves the Government once again reliant on police cells.
Including police cells, the total maximum prison capacity is 83,423. Even with the 400 spaces available under Operation Safeguard—which costs the taxpayer around £400 per prisoner each night—there are still only a few hundred places left.
In a desperate bid to buy more time, Ministers have activated a plan to cut nine months from the sentence of foreign criminals, including burglars and muggers.
The foreign nationals will be sent home 270 days before their sentences reach the halfway point.
Once they arrive back in their homeland, they will be free. The only sacrifice the villains will be expected to make is to promise not to return to the UK until the 270 days are up.
Ministers hope it will reduce the number of foreign criminals clogging Britain’s jails, which currently stands at around 11,000.
But critics say it will deny justice to British victims of their crimes. In some cases, it could lead to inmates guilty of serious crimes serving only a few weeks behind bars.
Tory justice spokesman Nick Herbert said: ‘This incompetent Government has failed to provide enough jail places and now lurches from one prison crisis and panic measure to another. Without proper border controls there will be nothing to stop foreign criminals from immediately returning to this country.
‘It is bad enough that millions more of taxpayers’ money is being wasted on housing prisoners in expensive police cells, but the public will not forgive Ministers if they extend their disastrous early release scheme which has already seen thousands of violent offenders walk free before serving even half of their sentence.’
He also expressed alarm about the PSA’s warrant claims. Custodial warrants cover everything from bail jumpers and criminals found guilty or sentenced in their absence, to escaped prisoners.
Mr Herbert said: ‘It would be extremely worrying if the police were leaving offenders at large until there was sufficient prison space to accommodate them. We have already seen failures in executing warrants, but a deliberate policy not to do so because of prison overcrowding would take concern to a new level.
‘The Government should respond to this allegation and assure us that steps are taken to take offenders into custody as soon as warrants are issued.’
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘We will always provide enough prison places for serious offenders, those who should be behind bars: the most dangerous, the seriously persistent offenders, the most violent. Prison is the right place for such people.
‘Since the beginning of March we have increased total capacity by over 1,000 places through the prison building programme and every effort is being made to make best use of the existing estate and bring new accommodation on-stream early.’
The MoJ added: ‘We have made it clear that foreign national prisoners should face deportation when they meet the relevant criteria, and that deportation should happen as early as possible in their sentence.
‘The early removal scheme in respect of foreign national prisoners has been successfully in operation since 2004 and over 3,000 prisoners have been removed to their country of origin under the scheme.’
Liberal Democrat justice spokesman David Howarth added: ‘The POA’s concern that arrest warrants may not be being executed because of a lack of prison space shows just how chaotic the prison system has become.
‘The punishment should fit the crime and not be based on the ever-decreasing availability of prison cells.’
Ministers have been locked in a frantic battle against overcrowding for the past two years. As quickly as they can build extra places, they are filled by the courts. Officials are hopeful numbers will fall over the next few dates, as inmates who could not be freed over the bank holiday are released.
(Posted on May 28, 2008)
Comments
This is a sign that Britain is full up with people. They must begin to be realistic and decide if they really truly want to destroy themselves or not.
Posted by Whiteplight at 7:49 PM on May 28
They should deport ALL foreign criminals at the end of their sentences, not just a few. In fact, they should deport the non-whites before they commit crimes.
Posted by Ronduck at 9:50 PM on May 28
“The only sacrifice the villains will be expected to make is to promise not to return to the UK until the 270 days are up”
Surely they’re barred for life from entry into Britain, or does that violate some kind of rights of non-citizens?
Posted by at 10:33 PM on May 28
“Foreign criminals almost 1/8 of British prison population.”
Yes, and the ones in prison that are home-grown with third world ancestry make up another huge percentage, undoubtedly.
After the dust settles on their country’s implosion the BNP will likely air a documentary after they gain control of the country, outlining the absolute disaster of importing crime, poverty, religious fanatics, and blacks.
Posted by ice at 10:59 PM on May 28
The English of 200 years ago had a very simple and effective way of dealing with criminals: They simply killed them.
If you study history (the ‘Newgate Calendar’ is a good source as is the new site ‘Old Bailey online’) you will see that England from the middle ages to as recently as the 1840s had the most draconian criminal code of any nation in the World - much tougher and harder than any eastern or islamic nation of the time in fact.
Hanging was the penalty for the theft of a few shillings, burglary,forgery, horse theft, game poaching etc ….and even illegally felling a tree.
It is on record that a 7 year old boy was hanged in Oxfordshire in the ‘enlightened’ 18th century for setting fire to a hay-stack.
Posted by Kenelm Digby at 6:54 AM on May 29
”In a desperate bid to buy more time, Ministers have activated a plan to cut nine months from the sentence of foreign criminals, including burglars and muggers.
The foreign nationals will be sent home 270 days before their sentences reach the halfway point.
Once they arrive back in their homeland, they will be free. The only sacrifice the villains will be expected to make is to promise not to return to the UK until the 270 days are up”.
Then they can come right back again & start committing more crimes. In a sane non-liberal society their photo would be taken, DNA sample & fingerprints taken, then deported & refused permission to set foot on British soil ever again.
More proof, if any were needed, that liberalism is a certifiable mental illness & that the lunatics are running the asylum.
Posted by dr dees brainwashing elixir at 12:26 PM on May 29
“Prison guards warned yesterday that wanted criminals are not being rounded up because there is no room in jail—on the day the number of prisoners topped 83,000 for the first time.’
Some europeans like to comment that the US has the highest number of people in prison in the developed world. This is true, however that is because we have far more blacks and large numbers of mexicans who cause crime although the MSM, in either the US or Europe will ever admit the REAL reason for this. Remove these two groups and our US prison population would fall greatly. Now Britain is getting more of these third world types and lo and behold, their prison population is going up. If Britain keeps on, their prison population will equal ours.
Posted by at 7:10 PM on May 31
>>>Foreign criminals almost 1/8 of British prison population.
V-e-r-r-y interesting… to quote an ancient TV catch-phrase. Now please tell us what PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL CRIME IS PERPETRATED BY NON-WHITE IMMIGRANTS! Seems to me, the British people have a right to know. Unless tbeir rulers prefer to employ Nazi-esque CENSORSHIP!
Posted by Fed Up at 1:31 PM on June 2