Thank you for contacting me about prisoners.
While I recognise that the prison population has risen in recent years, I am concerned by the Government’s decision to temporarily reduce the portion of certain custodial sentences served in prison from 50 per cent to 40 per cent. This measure - which initially came into effect on 10th September, before being extended to prisoners serving five years or more as of 22nd October 2024 - means that thousands of prisoners will now serve the majority of their sentence outside of prison, albeit under the Probation Service’s supervision, and as many as 6,200 criminals (according to the Government’s own estimates) will be released.
When it comes to the justice system, the public’s safety must always be the Government’s priority. I welcome that criminals sentenced for serious violent offences of four years or more, and those sentenced for sex offences will be automatically excluded from having their time in prison reduced. I am concerned that the Government’s list of exclusions does not include criminals sentenced for less than four years for offences like grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm (both prosecuted under the Offences against the Person Act 1861). While these offences carry a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, most often a term will be awarded that is less than this. I am concerned that criminals with a history of violence may be released from prisons early. Please rest assured that I will continue to encourage the Government to put the public’s protection first.
I do, however, believe that there is more the Government could do to free up prison capacity by dealing with the large number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) in UK prisons. Unlike the current administration, the previous Government returned nearly 4,000 foreign criminals to their countries of origin in 2023. I understand that there are still 10,435 FNOs currently held in custody on the prison estate in England and Wales. For context, that equates to about 12 per cent of the total prison population. Reducing the number of FNOs would free up capacity in our prisons, while keeping our public safe. I hope that the Government will consider updating its plans to do more to remove FNOs.
I am aware that the Government has indicated they intend to deport more FNOs. However, I am concerned by the lack of detail on their plans to improve deportation rates. Rest assured I will continue to closely follow their progress.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
