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The “most serious violent and sexual offenders” are already not automatically released at the halfway stage of their sentences.
They receive “Extended Determinate Sentences”, where they serve a minimum of 2/3 of their sentence and stay in prison until safe to release.
#FakeLaw
They receive “Extended Determinate Sentences”, where they serve a minimum of 2/3 of their sentence and stay in prison until safe to release.
#FakeLaw
This new policy will affect only a handful of prisoners, but will cost over £100m a year.
That is money that could make a huge difference to the chronically underresourced Crown Prosecution Service, or that could be used to keep courtrooms open.
That is money that could make a huge difference to the chronically underresourced Crown Prosecution Service, or that could be used to keep courtrooms open.
As I wrote in my book, I have no objection to dangerous offenders who commit serious crimes serving long sentences. There is also a real problem with public understanding of and faith in the system, caused by eg automatic early release and political presentation of sentencing.
But there is an issue of priorities here. The criminal justice system is on its knees. @RobertBuckland knows that. Currently crimes, if they are charged at all, are taking 2 years to come to trial, due to lack of police resources to investigate and a lack of courts to hear trials
If you have £100m a year to spend on criminal justice, using it to stuff more people for longer in our already-overcrowded, death-and-violence-ridden prisons is an odd priority when the system doesn’t have the basic resources to investigate, prosecute and try criminal allegations
If @RobertBuckland is able to provide evidence to show how and why the current system for dangerous offenders is not working, and why this new policy is more important than resolving the other systemic problems, those of us seeing court cases fall apart daily would appreciate it.
