HOW MANY RAPISTS WILL WALK FREE? Prisons minister grilled over early release scheme
7/1/202631 min
Thousands of killers, rapists and sex offenders are among those who could be released early this September as the Government tries to tackle the crisis facing Britain’s overcrowded prisons.The plans have sparked a political row, with former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips calling for child rapists to be excluded from the scheme, while the Conservatives have accused the Government of putting victims at risk.On this episode of The Fourcast, Jackie Long speaks to Amy Clowrey, a solicitor who specialises in child sex abuse cases, Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers Association, and prisons minister Lord Timpson.What does the scheme mean for victims? How many offenders could be released? And is there another way to fix Britain’s prison crisis?
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMark Fairhurst· Guest0:00
My biggest fear with all this is that we're on the verge of a massive crime wave. This is decades of austerity measures, budget cuts, and now cuts have consequences.
Amy Clowrey· Guest0:09
This is absolutely not what the British public want. We do not want serious sexual and violent offenders out early on the streets.
Timpson· Guest0:16
We are working with victims, and we've been very clear that there will be 7,500 spare cells a result of this.
Jackie Long· Host0:24
But you, you- But- You're not being clear about who's being released, are you?
Timpson· Guest0:27
So- So just to that question, we're talking about child rapists, groomers, domestic abuse perpetrators, killers.
Jackie Long· Host0:34
Do you know how many of those will be released? Hello, and welcome to The Forecast. I'm Jackie Long. It's perhaps one of the most unsettling examples of Britain's crumbling public services. The government is set to release thousands of prisoners early with warnings that killers, rapists, and sex offenders could be among those leaving prison sooner than expected. For victims, many of whom have had to wait years for convictions, it's another sign of a justice system not fit for purpose. Survivors have told us of their shock and fear that their offenders could potentially be at large soon. Labor's former safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, has called for child rapists to be excluded from the scheme, saying there should be more exemptions, while the conservatives have branded the plans disgraceful. The government says it inherited a prisons crisis with overcrowding forcing difficult decisions