Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ‘Angry’ as Early Prison Release Scheme Sparks Controversy and Celebrations

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his frustration upon witnessing inmates celebrating with champagne following their premature release. He stated that he was compelled to initiate a program that resulted in over 1,700 prisoners being released early to mitigate overcrowding issues.

Political journalist @Journoamrogers

Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 10:

Sir Keir Starmer expressed his anger upon discovering that individuals released early from prison to alleviate overcrowding were being welcomed with champagne upon their exit.

The prime minister stated that due to prisons in England and Wales reaching maximum capacity, the government was compelled to release certain inmates early, which had hindered the police's ability to detain suspects.

When questioned about his reaction to seeing images of prisoners rejoicing, the prime minister, speaking to journalists in Rome, said, "Having dedicated five years to prosecuting and incarcerating individuals, it angers me to have to release those who rightfully belong behind bars."

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Last week, the government released 1,750 inmates as a measure to reduce overcrowding in prisons, a move Sir Keir described as unavoidable.

According to recent data from the government, the number of inmates as of Friday, September 13, stood at 86,333, a decrease from 88,521 recorded the previous week. Additionally, there are over 3,000 available spaces in the prison system.

The move to release certain inmates early has sparked outrage among some groups following an incident where a recently freed prisoner was charged with attacking a woman on the day of his release. He has since been charged and returned to incarceration.

Authorities confirmed that neither terrorists nor convicted sex offenders are included in those being set free.

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Facing criticism, the prime minister has stood by the government's actions, stating that the options were limited to either proceeding as they did or facing the inability to detain and incarcerate criminals.

"He emphasized the potential chaos in national security if police were unable to perform daily arrests as required," he stated.

"If it ever reached that point, you would certainly have some tough questions for me."

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Sir Keir stated that his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, had received the same advice regarding the early release scheme that the Tories are currently condemning, and he accused Sunak of postponing the decision until after the election.

"He postponed action until after the election, exacerbating the crisis. I'm as furious now as I was during my time in Cobra, where we literally had to calculate the number of available prison spaces to determine if we could manage the unrest," he stated.

"No head of government should find themselves in such a situation.

"Being forced into a situation where I have to choose between implementing a release program due to severe overcrowding in prisons, or confronting the reality that the police are unable to perform their fundamental duties, is a position I should never have been placed in."

Read more: Is the early release of inmates a feasible solution despite its lack of popularity? Who are the candidates in the race for Conservative Party leadership?

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In addition to the early release program, the prime minister announced that Labour plans to amend planning regulations in England and Wales to facilitate the quicker construction of new prisons. He mentioned that the government is actively working to accelerate ongoing projects.

The administration has implemented contentious measures to reduce prison overcrowding, notably by permitting the early discharge of inmates who have completed 40% of their term.

In England and Wales, most inmates, except those convicted of the gravest crimes, typically serve half of their sentence before being granted conditional release. Starting this month, they will now be eligible for release after completing 40% of their term.

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