Starmer refuses to promise that domestic abusers will not be released early under emergency measures to combat prison overcrowding

Richard Garside from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies tends to be a thoughtful commentator. I've just seen that he's calling for a long-term plan. However, the comment sections for those are wretched so here's Garside giving evidence to a Justice Committee about prison capacity and future prison populations. He comments at around 2:40 and I've shared it from there.

Not that I'm inclined to give the new government a free pass, but Lord Timpson might have some really interesting ideas on alternatives to prison. His appointment is probably the most exciting one in the current government, and I'd really like to see what ideas he has.

That doesn't say very much about those currently in prison though.

Given the expense of prisons and the lack of rehabilitation opportunities, it would be useful for the MoJ and National Offender Management (or whatever it is now) to have had or to begin consultations and conversations with us (the public) about non-carceral options and the people for whom they're best suited.

I would like to know if the use of court diversion into rehab and education (from occupational training to parenting) works in other countries. Is there something we can learn.

Is e-carceration with or without the use of (say) alcohol and drug monitoring flaky and unreliable or is that a viable option that protects community safety?

How many prisons did Labour build when they were in power for 15 years before the Tories?

Fuckers. When some of these prisoners are released, when they have been through whatever they have to do post release they are going to end up being classed as "vulnerable" and eligible for social housing. So Starmer and co wont have to worry about them living near them. Us who live on housing estates on the other hand............
Yet Starmer has also sworn to crack down on anti social behaviour. Does that include for those of us who live in social housing when its already become a dumping ground for offenders. And will likely get a few more.

Viewers in Scotland will be wearily used to this tactic. We've had years of the SNP blaming Westminster for absolutely everything.

I mean, okay if Labour are going to remove the 2 child benefit cap, reinstate the winter fuel payments, and reverse austerity, fine.

They are doing all that, right?

Agree. UK politics is becoming more and more like American politics. It’s becoming fanatical, if you insult one party or leader, it must mean you are a ‘fan’ of the other and don’t question anything they’ve done. Ridiculous. I criticise the party I support more than any other, because I always expect them to do better. That’s how we keep politicians working rather than lazy and giving us the bear minimum because their fan club will still support them and make excuses for them.

Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain

FWR: Hang on, there's a man behind that curtain

Labour partisans: Why are you attacking the Wizard? The Wizard is on the right side of history. Anything that seems to be the Wizard's fault is really the fault of the previous Wicked Witch administration that you all support

Absolutely!

Anyone who blames Labour for the prisons release policy, when they are just continuing the existing Tory release plan & aren't the ones for not building enough Prison capacity, isn't looking at this issue with any objectivity, especially when they bring in Nandy, who has nothing to do with the justice system.

Prisoners are already being housed in Victorian prisons, with open toilets, locked up for many hours a day, violence & drugs running rife, its inhuman & that, whether you like it or not is down to your lot, as is any early release policy, there is no choice.

What next ? "Labour are to blame for 7.5m people on NHS waiting lists" because Rayner bought a council house.

Mad that they would rather release rapists and abusers than people selling weed.

A huge amount of time and money is wasted on drug related offences when everyone could just mind their own business.

'sore loser Tories'? Is that what we can expect to be called every time we question government policy, now?

It may not be to make space for violent men.

May be to make space for people making offensive Tweets.

Labour didn't refuse to build enough prison places did they, over the last decade or run down probation services.

The problem here is that almost anyone who is prison for any length of time is going be or have the very real potential for violence and these offenders will be released anyway in a few months time

Prisons are jammed, i hope Labour will send prisoners to Estonia rather than release violent prisoners but if they do, the blame is on the Tories, who had exactly the same plan.

But yes bring Nandy into it, irrelevant but a nice stick by sore loser Tories to hit Labour with.

Why is anyone surprised. This is a prime minister who made Lisa Nandy ‘trans rapists should be in female prisons’ his culture secretary.

this doesn’t surprise me at all. Labour hate women, no one should be shocked when their actions reflect that.

Why would he release violent domestic abusers to make space for more violent men? Just why? Ffs

Where are all the non-custodial services supposed to come from to supervise and manage all of these early release people?

And the domestic abusers, where are they going? Will they need to attend mandatory education?

Are they to be supervised or is it, "I've served my sentence and there are now no restrictions".

In fairness, that wouldn't help free up space for violent men, which is the point.

During 2020, the last year for which full figures are available, there were 55,061 prosecutions and 52,477 convictions in England and Wales for TV Licence evasion. Of the 52,477 convicted, 39,742 were women (76%).

Although it is a criminal offence to watch television without a valid licence, you cannot be sent to prison for this alone.
However, a court can issue a fine of up to £1,000. You can receive a custodial sentence for wilfully refusing to pay this fine, after other methods of trying to recover the fine have failed

Between 1995 and 2018, a total of 1,449 men were jailed for the offencecompared to 754 women, suggesting that in fact men may be disproportionately more likely to be jailed. This ratio does vary depending on the time period looked at though. Over the last ten years, for instance, a slightly higher proportion of those jailed are women (53%), while over the last five years that figure is 46%.

https://fullfact.org/news/liz-truss-tv-licence-prison/

Release the women! Especially those in prison for non-payment of the BBC TV licence!