APCC Chair comment on prison early release scheme
APCC Chair, Donna Jones, attended the first National Criminal Justice Board chaired by the Lord Chancellor and was briefed on the Government announcement to extend the prison release scheme to urgently address prison overcrowding:
“I was briefed yesterday by the Ministry of Justice on the Government’s intention to extend the prison release scheme to urgently address prison overcrowding. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) welcome a working solution to the current crisis and recognise that this proposal comes hand in hand with a commitment to adhere to multi-agency public protection measures to ensure the safety of the public whilst bolstering probation services.
“PCCs will play a leading part in the Probation Task Force and, through the Local Criminal Justice Boards held in each area, will coordinate courts and police response to the issue. Yesterday, in a meeting with the Home Secretary, PCCs raised the need to ensure that any foreign national offenders who are released early are deported as soon as possible and that the appeals process is reviewed to ensure any potential delays to deportation are removed to free up more spaces in detention centres.”