'Big up Sir Keir Starmer' says inmate freed early under Labour's early release scheme - as he's collected in a Bentley
22 October 2024, 13:09
An inmate said “big up Keir Starmer’ as he was freed from prison early from a jail term for kidnap and grievous bodily harm.
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Inmate Daniel Dowling-Brooks said "big up Keir Starmer" as he was celebrating with friends, mum and sister who picked him up in a convoy of a white Bentley and black Mercedes G-wagon outside of HMP Swaleside.
The 29-year-old told reporters he had been in prison for seven years for kidnap and grievous bodily harm of someone who owed money to his friend, and was leaving jail seven weeks earlier than planned.
He said the first thing he would do is "go to McDonalds, go to my hostel and follow all the rules".
On his crime he said he regrets it and feels bad, adding he would now spend more time with his two children and his friends.
He added: "I feel good man. I feel happy."
Sir Keir meanwhile said he "shares the public's anger" at scenes of criminals celebrating their early release.
His official spokesman said: "The Prime Minister shares the public's anger at these scenes and thinks it is shocking that any government should ever inherit the crisis that this government has when it comes to our prisons.
"But just to be clear, there was no choice not to act. If we had not acted, we would have faced a complete paralysis of the system.
"Courts unable to send offenders to prison, police unable to make arrests and unchecked criminality on our streets, so the Government clearly could not allow this to happen."
Of the 14 newly released from around 9.30 to midday, it is not known how many were freed early due to the scheme or released after, "time served".
After brief hugs, kisses and handshakes outside the jail, most were quickly whisked away in waiting cars.
One man would only say he had been released nine months early from his sentence of seven-and-a-half years, thanks to the new scheme.
Another shaven-headed ex-prisoner, wearing trainers, jeans and a grey sweatshirt said he had served five years and was angry at conditions inside.
"It's corrupt," he shouted. "They beat people up. It's corrupt and abusive. There's no mental health," he said, before climbing into a car driven by a friend and leaving.
Some criminals could be sentenced to house arrest instead of prison, the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said.
Ms Mahmood will launch the review on Tuesday, with former Conservative Justice Secretary David Gauke to lead the scheme.
It comes on the same day that around 1,100 inmates are released from prison early because of overcrowding.
The review will look at using technology to place criminals in a "prison outside prison", and more community service.
Punishments outside of prison could involve using "nudge" technology, sobriety tags or home detention curfews.
A senior prison service source said: "We are particularly interested in nudge technology, like a wristwatch that says: 'Have you got in touch with your probation officer? Have you turned up at your mental health treatment appointment?'
"They're not things that restrict your liberty, but they are very helpful in terms of behaviour compliance and nudge compliance."
Read more: Over 1,000 more prisoners to be released from jail this week
It comes as the Justice Secretary told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that releasing 37 prisoners who were accidentally released early was a "mistake that wont happen again".
At the time, the Ministry of Justice admitted the prisoners were wrongly released under Labour's plans to reduce overcrowding in jails.
"That was something even I didn’t anticipated," admitted the Justice Secretary, "as soon as we were made aware of it, we took action".
Justice Secretary on how the sentencing review aims to resolve the 'revolving door of justice'
Community alternatives and fines instead of prison time will be examined as part of the new review, as will the impact of short custodial sentences.
Ministers will also look abroad for ideas about how the scheme could work, such as in Texas, where authorities have used good behaviour credits.
The review will also consider whether more can be done to tackle prolific offending and crimes committed against women and girls by drawing sentences that reflect the severity of the act.
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Ms Mahmood said: "We want the review to consider the broader framework when it comes to sentencing, particularly because in order to meet our commitment on halving the levels of violence against women and girls.
"Obviously, sentencing time in prison has a role to play, but prevention has a big role to play as well.
"I would fully be expecting them to be looking at sex offenders and sex offences within the scope of this review."
Ms Mahmood announced plans in July to temporarily reduce how much of their sentences inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% as the Ministry of Justice said overcrowding had pushed jails to the "point of collapse".
The first release of around 1,700 prisoners from jails across England and Wales started on September 10. The latest tranche, starting on Tuesday, has expanded eligibility to include those serving sentences of five years or more.
Prisons are expected to reach critical capacity again by July.
The number of prison spaces fluctuates, but it is understood there are some 89,000 prison spaces in total.
The Government has committed to creating 14,000 additional prison spaces.
The findings of the sentencing review will be submitted by spring next year. The results of the review are expected to take effect by March 2026 at the earliest.
Mr Gauke said: "Clearly, our prisons are not working. The prison population is increasing by around 4,500 every year, and nearly 90% of those sentenced to custody are re-offenders.
"This review will explore what punishment and rehabilitation should look like in the 21st century, and how we can move our justice system out of crisis and towards a long-term, sustainable future."
Mr Gauke argued in 2019, when he was justice secretary, that there is a "very strong case" for abolishing jail terms of six months or less, with exceptions made for violent and sexual crimes.
The Prison Reform Trust said the average prison sentence for serious, indictable offences is now 62.4 months - almost two years longer than in 2010.
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Mark Day, deputy director of the trust, said: "The current capacity crisis has bought our criminal justice system close to collapse. Emergency measures are not a long-term solution.
"We urgently need to get to grips with runaway sentence inflation which has contributed to chronic levels of overcrowding and driven prison numbers and our use of imprisonment up to an unsustainable level."
The Law Society welcomed the review, saying: "It is high time for an examination of alternatives to the use of custody, which is an expensive and often counterproductive form of punishment."
The cost of punishment outside prison is estimated at around £5,000 annually per person compared with more than £50,000 to imprison someone for a year.
