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STRAW ADMITS END OF CUSTODY LICENCE SCHEME UNSATISFACTORY

Westminster, 3 February, 2009

Justice Secretary Jack Straw today admitted that a controversial scheme introduced to ease prison overcrowding was "not satisfactory".

More than 47,500 prisoners have been let out early under the End of Custody Licence scheme (ECL) since it was introduced in June 2007.

Clwyd West MP, David Jones, said that more than 950 offenders – one in fifty - had committed offences while on licence, including an alleged three murders and two rapes.

During Justice Questions, he told Mr Straw that the scheme had been introduced by the Government as a "temporary measure".


David Jones said:

"Since then, some 47,500 prisoners have been released early, of whom over 950 have offended whilst on licence, including three murders and two rapes.

"When your colleague Lord Bach said last month that this is ‘not an entirely satisfactory scheme’, he was guilty of the greatest understatement imaginable.

"Is not this in fact a positively dangerous scheme and when do you propose to end it?"

Mr Straw said he had made it clear he would withdraw the ECL as soon as there was "sufficient capacity within the prison system".

In reply to a similar question from Conservative Mark Harper (Forest of Dean), Mr Straw said: "It will not continue indefinitely. Look, it's not a satisfactory scheme; no-one's ever suggested it was satisfactory.

"I will seek to end it as soon as I judge we have sufficient capacity."

David Jones commented:

“It is good to see that Jack Straw at least has the honesty to admit that the ECL scheme is unsatisfactory.   However, it is worrying that a scheme that was introduced as a ‘temporary measure’ shows no sign of coming to an end.

“The plain fact is that the Government has not created enough prison places.  As a consequence, dangerous criminals are being let out onto our streets before they have completed their sentences.  This is an unacceptable state of affairs and should be put right as quickly as possible.”