Police to monitor early release prisoners without extra funding

Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg has warned that monitoring prisoners released early under a government scheme will place an additional burden on police forces. He stated that officers have not received extra funding for this work, meaning resources will need to be diverted from other areas.

The government plans to release approximately 5,000 prisoners from October to ease overcrowding in jails. Initially, this number was higher, but ministers intervened to exempt rapists and serious child sex offenders. Further changes announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham will now exclude anyone convicted of unlawful killing, including all forms of manslaughter and death by dangerous driving.

Concerns over police resources

Chief Constable Hogg expressed concern that the demand for tracking tagged individuals could be significant. "We don’t quite know what the demand will be on that, but I think it’ll be reasonably high, so it’s definitely more work for us," he told LBC. He added that police would have to seek out, arrest, and bring to court individuals who breach their tagging restrictions.

Mr Hogg stated he was relieved by the Prime Minister's confirmation that the killers of police officer Andrew Harper would not be eligible for early release. Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, convicted of Pc Harper's manslaughter in 2020, were initially set to be eligible from next year. "Hundreds" of additional individuals will now remain in prison due to the revised criteria, according to Mr Burnham.

New restrictions for released offenders

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones emphasised that early release does not equate to complete freedom for offenders. She confirmed that those released will be fitted with GPS monitoring tags. For the first time, a "world first restriction zone" will be implemented to limit offenders' locations. Additional restrictions include bans on attending pubs and public spaces, and the removal of driving licences.

The government is also considering releasing inmates serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, which were handed out between 2005 and 2012 to offenders deemed a significant risk. However, the Ministry of Justice noted that implementing changes for IPP prisoners could take years and requires a careful approach due to ongoing public safety concerns. As of June 30 this year, 856 IPP prisoners remained unreleased.