Ministers are reportedly considering Texas-style prison reforms allowing offenders in England and Wales to reduce their sentences by earning points through course participation.
According to the Times, Labour is developing plans to emulate the approach used in the United States, where criminals can reduce their imprisonment time by participating in programs targeted at addressing the core reasons for offending, such as drug usage. The courses will include educational and vocational programs and drug or behavioral rehabilitation sessions. The measures have helped reduce Texas’ prison population by 15%, from 152,661 in 2007, when the plan was initially implemented, to 129,653 last year. Over the same period, reoffending rates decreased by around 30%.
Shabana Mahmood, the justice minister, is due to visit the United States later this year to investigate the possibility of implementing a similar plan in England and Wales to lower the growing jail population and rate of recidivism.
The jail population reached a new high of 88,521 earlier this month before the government’s emergency early release provisions went into effect, allowing inmates serving sentences for less severe crimes to leave prison after serving 40% of their sentences rather than 50%. People serving four-year or longer sentences for particularly violent crimes, as well as sex offenders, are ineligible for the early release initiative. Those who have finished a sentence for a serious crime and are now serving a consecutive sentence for a less severe offense will be permitted to go early.
According to reports on Wednesday, 37 criminals who were prosecuted under the old harassment statute were released in error as part of the early release scheme. The Ministry of Justice is collaborating with the police to return five offenders to custody, with the majority remaining in prison, and it has given staff instructions to prevent further wrongful releases.
Prisons were already close to capacity when Labour took control in July, but the summer’s disturbances put additional strain on the system. The MoJ is now negotiating with the Treasury ahead of the fiscal statement on October 30. The ministry refuses to comment on this report.
