Government’s review of the Early Release Scheme must prioritise rehabilitation

Unlock welcomes the government’s review into the early release scheme and hopes that this will be an opportunity to prioritise rehabilitation in the criminal justice system.

It is clear that the public and MPs were not sufficiently assured of the public safety aspects of the scheme when it was introduced. There are numerous protections in place as part of the scheme to protect the public. Early release is certainly not automatic. Only those serving standard determinate sentences are eligible. Serious sexual and violent offenders would not be eligible for release after serving one-third of their sentence and the most serious offenders are excluded from the scheme.

Prisons are rightly a place of punishment, but they should also be a place of rehabilitation so as to reduce reoffending and protect the public. Those eligible for the scheme have to be engaged with education, work, or training. Any refusal to participate in rehabilitation or poor behaviour may delay release or make someone ineligible. The aim of the scheme is to allow those who do want to get into work and contribute to society to do so. All of the evidence shows that helping prison leavers into work reduces reoffending. But there are economic benefits too. Having more people in work, supporting themselves and not claiming benefits or in costly prisons, is good for us all.

Rehabilitation in our prison system currently is woeful. Missing this opportunity to reduce reoffending and protect the public fails all of us. We hope that the government use this review as an opportunity to boost rehabilitation activities in our prisons, increase the use of Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) for eligible prisoners so that those who want to work can, and reassure the public of the safeguards that are in place to protect us all.