Outrage as lifers let out of jail for family Christmas

ABOUT 1,000 prisoners including some serving life sentences are set to be given a festive pass to have Christmas with their families.

Inmates can get as much as four days out of jail to celebrate before returning to finish their sentences, figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal.

David Spencer, research director at the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “It frankly beggars belief.

“If you have been convicted of an offence serious enough to be deprived of your liberty, it is totally wrong that you are let out for special occasions.”

In 2017, 1,079 inmates were released at Christmas – equivalent to more than the population of high-security Belmarsh jail in south-east London.

Prisoners are ordered to refrain from having any alcohol with their Christmas dinner. Those found to have enjoyed a tipple could lose their privileges on their return.

However, the extended break means those who have a drink early in their festive time out are less likely to be detected when they resume their sentence. The official figures show that of the 1,079 inmates released for Christmas in 2017, a total of 64 were lifers, having been given the maximum penalty for the worst offences such as murder and rape.

Among those allowed home were 12 sex offenders, 249 imprisoned for crimes of violence and 476 for drugs offences.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “The main purpose of Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) is to facilitate the prisoner’s rehabilitation, to encourage them to take responsibility for their actions.

“ROTL is only available to a small number of prisoners after strict risk assessment.

“Brief time in the community is a proven factor in stopping people reoffending and making the public safer. Any offenders who abuse the system can be sent back to tougher conditions and face spending longer behind bars.”