UK PRISONERS BEING RETURNED TO JAIL BY PROBATION SERVICES – It’s easier than trying to sort it out, claims Probation Boss
Prisoners are being sent back to jail by the probation service because it’s the “easiest thing to do”, rather than solely for public protection, says the Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones.
He cited caseload “pressure” in the service meaning officers are recalling people to jail to get them out of their “worry zone”, even if it has “relatively little impact on the protection of the public.”. He claims this is causing “overcrowded prisons” for “limited benefit” and added, “It’s a symptom of a system under huge pressure.”.
The recall population in England and Wales – the number of prisoners sent back to jail after release – has more than doubled in the last decade. It now accounts for 15% of the total number of people behind bars.
Data published by the Ministry of Justice covering July-September 2024 showed there were 9,975 recalls, up 42% on the same period the previous year, and the highest quarterly recall statistics on record. It means that for every 100 people being released between July and September, 67 people were recalled.
It comes after the government introduced a new early-release scheme in September, which saw thousands of offenders freed after serving 40% of their sentence, rather than 50%.
In the three months to September, nearly a quarter (24%) of recall cases involved a charge of further offending, with almost three-quarters (73%) of people recalled for “non-compliance” with license conditions.
