Friday releases from jails ‘fuel reoffending’
PRISONS should stop releasing inmates on a Friday because doing so fuels reoffending, drug addiction and homelessness, two Conservative peers have suggested.
More than a third of exoffenders are freed on Fridays, but struggle to access support services that are closed until Monday.
Campaigners claim many inmates, who do not have anywhere to stay on release, end up on the streets and are easily drawn back into crime.
Prisoners struggling with addiction can also have difficulties getting prescriptions over the weekend.
A prisoner’s release is calculated in days from the point when sentenced. If due out on a weekend, they will be freed on the previous Friday, meaning it is the most popular day for releases.
Lord Attlee and Lord Hodgson have tabled an amendment to the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill that would give prison governors discretion over when to let inmates out.
If accepted, the amendment – which has support from Lord Bird, founder of the Big Issue – could let inmates out two days early.
Some justice campaigners have argued that for those on short sentences this could represent a substantial portion of their overall sentence.
But the change would only apply to those offenders whom the prison governor believes require extra support on release.
Lord Hodgson said: “So many people come straight out of prison with nowhere to live and go straight on the streets. They have nowhere to go, nothing to do and end up doing something stupid just to go back inside.”
Lord Attlee added: “We need to ensure that release
‘They have nowhere to go and [do] something stupid to get back inside’
occurs earlier in the week in order that ex-offenders can be safely re-integrated.”
In the first 24 hours after release an ex-inmate must meet their probation officer, claim for Universal Credit and sometimes contact a local housing authority.
Many of these administrative processes cannot be started until release and many inmates do not have valid identification documents. Many ex-prisoners will also need to see their GP for medication to help combat addictions.