It's good to see that the incoming Labour Government are really getting down to brass tacks in their first few weeks in office. Plenty of new policies have been revealed in the recent 'King's Speech', amongst which was one very important one concerning our precious country's criminal classes.
The new Minister for 'Being Nice to Criminals', Ms Shabana Mahmood (above), has decided that, as Britain's prisons are somewhat over-crowded, rather than build new ones she will release lots of nasty criminals early from the old ones.
In fact 5,500 are to be released, including 1,700 who are serving sentences of more than 5 years. How she came across these figures is anyone's guess!
Ms Mahmood said "This could lead to an increase in crimes committed, which would come with a socio-economic cost".
Well, thanks for that Shabana, I'm sure that England feels so much safer now, knowing that you're in charge!
Heaven effing help us!!!!!!
50 comments:
Another quote from the "bleeding obvious" - who would have guessed that releasing violent criminals early could possibly result in more crime?
So, more police needed to catch (again) these individuals, is this some kind of weird job creation scheme?
I despair (yet again).
We should all move to France.
Weird indeed.
I agree with JC. Stay in France. The English have mad politican disease
They're just as crazy over here.
The next time I wish for something, it'll be a 'Common Sense Party'.
As somebody here said to you recently, you didn't vote so you can't complain.
Would it have made any difference? We have a GREEN MP in Brighton.
Labour have been driven to this "solution" because The Tories neglected the prison system so comprehensively that there were hardly any spaces left for new prisoners. It takes a long time to build new prisons which must also involve staff recruitment and the Conservatives were warned about this repeatedly during their fourteen years in office.
My husband has the tough opinion that instead of releasing all the minor criminals and those nearing their parole dates, the ones convicted of serious crimes and serving full life terms should be shot. And for once I am inclined to agree with his idea.
None of the released prisoners who have only served 40% of their sentences will have committed sexual or violent crimes.
Well, that's a good get-out comment isn't it - a good excuse for yet another stupid idea. It hasn't taken Labour long to come up with their excuses for poor government and useless schemes.
I suggest that those released prisoners who are desperate to re-offend do so by targetting Labour MP's. They are not likely to report the crimes are they? It would mean admitting there is a slight " "flaw" in the idea.
At least they didn't simply want to let them all out! It makes you wonder why Mahmood warned about a prospective crime spree.
I've always been anti the death sentence, but some crimes are so horrific that the perpetrators should be prepared to sacrifice their own lives. I don't see this as 'controversial'.
Yes. I wonder that too. Maybe it's because a lot who will be released are petty thieves.
All we need is a list of their addresses, and hand them to the cheering criminals as they leave prison, along with their Labour gift-bag of money, housing, and sympathy. And this is only Week 3.
The Tories have been letting out those who have served 40% of their sentence for months and Labour have raised this to 50%. Thousands have been let out early, this is an increase in numbers. The prisons will fill up again in a matter of months. Sentencing needs to be addressed.
Me too.
It is so interesting to see different political takes on a story.
"Rather than build new [prisons] she will release lots of nasty criminals from the old ones." The prisons are overcrowded and without some sort action there wont be any room for new prisoners. This didn't happen over night, or in the last three weeks. ie it was a problem the current government inherited and it wont be the last.
I don't know where the notion that the Tories have been letting out people who have served 50% of their sentence comes from. From what I could find the MoJ figures showed that 10,083 prisoners were released under the end of custody supervised licence scheme between Oct 2023 and June 2024. Under the scheme some prisoners could be freed 18 days before their conditional release date. This was increased to 35 days in March and then to 70 days in May.
One could speculate the prison crisis was a factor in Sunak calling a snap election.
I don't think that prisons need necessarily to be stone and concrete buildings, they could easily be more like military barracks surrounded by razor wire and men with shotguns. Prisoners should be made to work, to earn their keep, and should ALWAYS serve their full sentence.
I have a Green MP. I did vote.
Sue, I wholeheartedly agree with your husband!
I am certainly of the opinion that the death penalty should be available, and used. However, there have been too many circumstances where convicted murderers have subsequently been found innocent for me to be entirely comfortable with it. With discretion, though, I am certain that it could reduce both some repeat offending, and the inhumanity of incarcerating someone genuinely for life.
And before the human rights cry-babies get started, killing someone forever removes the victim's right to life, the murderer in my opinion has thereby forfeited any claim on human rights grounds.
Or even the Bibby vessel currently available as no longer being used for asylum seekers?
Prison should serve multiple purposes - removal of violent or otherwise antisocial individuals from open society, thereby preventing further offending, if appropriate under some circumstances rehabilitation, and serve as a deterrent to criminal behaviour. This last purpose is a lost cause in England, as the police are pretty useless at apprehending the criminals, and frequently the courts refuse to use custodial sentences. For the really nasty individuals, we need to go back to the Dartmoor of yesteryear, hard labour breaking rocks or similar, so that the individuals really pay in blood and sweat for the distress that their crimes have caused.
Quite right. The 'illegals' will soon be given their 'goody bags' filled with visas, get-out-of-jail-free cards, money, mobile phones, and of course membership application papers for the 'We Hate All Brits Club'. Thus leaving Bibby available for a two week stay for murders, rapists, and thieves.
Keeping these people off the streets should be their No 1 priority, not letting them all out to commit 'an increase in crime' that the fragrant Ms Mahood intends.
Sorry; Mahmood.
TWO Green MP's, they will prove to be less than useless.
Batten down the hatches and arm yourself with a cricket bat. Heaven help the world, half of it has gone mad.
I apologise if this has become a bit of a 'Soapbox', but I agree with you; it's all bonkers, and there's nothing we law-abiders can do about it.
My dearest Cro, it is your blog, you do you. What you think is right..pooh on the rest. They can have their own blogs if they want. I like to know what is going on , even if I don't comment. We need to get things out of our system before we become "them".
It seems common sense has gone the way of the dodo bird.
I don't know why I feel so 'angry' today. Certain things seem so totally silly, and we have no control over them. I wonder what all those people who voted for them are now thinking?
Sue, I had to laugh out loud at your comment. But , then simmer down and think...why the hell not?
Ahh... common sense - one of the many things that MPs have to leave outside the door when taking their seats in the Commons.
Incidentally, I have seen a stuffed Dodo, and a sorry looking bird it is, much the same as the remnants of any sense or propriety in politicans.
Maybe it is the physical pain making you 'angry'.
I will meet you in the pool . I'll bring cheese , you bring the wine. We don't have to swim, just soak. :)
Yes, it makes me feel depressed and 'out of sorts'. I've just been for a swim, but without much pleasure involved. I think I prefer the Cheese and Wine.
Sun lounger now.
It might be time to install a home security system in Brighton. Releasing prisoners prepared to go to work and be law abiding is not a bad idea but anything less is surly going to have some downside.
Indoors with a good book.
Here too. Certain groups go around country homes, knocking on doors. If no-one replies they break in and steal everything. We shall install some Hi-Tech.
There's another one in Bristol.
My moods seem to change daily. Disbelief, surely they are not going to do that. OMG yes they are. Sometimes I fear for the future. I feel sad that things are going to change, and I feel helpless that I can't do anything about it. I want to make things better but I can't. I also have tinges of anger but I can't stay angry for long. It can eat away at your soul. I have to live with hope, otherwise it is a downward spiral. Highway to Hell comes to mind.
Incorrect figures in comment above this.
I feel much the same. I'm now permanently waiting to see what's coming next, and they haven't even started on our taxes yet. I am not hopeful for the future of any hard-worker, or employer.
Tsk...pity you can't send them all out to Australia in a rickety boat like int the good old days ! :)
Wow, steady on Neil, you might be talking to me. I agree the figures may be incorrected quoted as I was writing from memory but I am aware that the Tories had commenced releasing a substantial number of prisoners because of the overcrowding and there was a 10% difference between the Labour and Tory release numbers. Now that talking wasn't really that bad was it! You need to forgive and forget, life's too short to hold such a long grudge.
And before you say it, the word is incorrectly not incorrected. Enjoy the rest of your day when you get up.
Could be worse, Cro. The residents of a pretty little Greek Island are fed up of 11,000 holiday makers being discharged from several cruise liners daily. The headline says it's an invasion and causing chaos.
Post a Comment