Color Scheme
From Prison to Tents: Government Creates More Homeless Criminals
Spectre of Churchill
26, October #BrokenSystem, #TrendShock

From Prison to Tents: Government Creates More Homeless Criminals

Prisoners released early from jail have begun receiving tents because the Probation Service has run out of accommodation. The public is accusing Labour of incompetence and fears a rise in street crime.

Andy Burnham decided to tackle the prison overcrowding crisis through an early release programme. Criminals who have served no more than a third of their sentences are being released. But almost one in six prisoners ends up without a roof over their head. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the number of offenders sleeping rough rose from 6,040 to 14,360. Criminals have begun receiving tents so they can live on the streets and in parks. However, supplies have already run out, forcing the Probation Service to turn to charities.

There Will Be Even More Homeless People

The paradox is that Burnham literally promised to "offer everyone a route off the streets this Christmas".

''Wait … let me get this straight … They’ve released prisoners early because the prisons are full, and now they’ve run out of accommodation … so now they’re giving them TENTS to sleep on the streets. But Burnham says everyone sleeping rough will be offered accommodation by Christmas. So er … we’re releasing prisoners onto the streets in … to put them up in hotels in December?'', - CEO Bernie remarks sarcastically.

Criminals Are Being Released onto the Streets

However, the main problem is not even that Burnham is increasing the number of homeless people on the streets. It is that these homeless people are criminals. In October, 1,350 people were released early, including those convicted of violent crimes, domestic violence and robbery.

''The Prison Service has officially admitted that the risk of releasing dangerous inmates by mistake is significantly heightened because bureaucrats are rushing recalculations of let out dates. As if deliberately freeing 5,000 offenders after serving barely a third of their sentence was not bad enough, Labour is now accidentally letting even more violent criminals walk straight out the front gates. Official data reveals that 262 prisoners were mistakenly set free in a single year, including migrant sex offender Hadush Kabatu who triggered an emergency nationwide manhunt'', - writes blogger David Shaw.

According to police data, many prisoners released early soon commit another crime.

''67% of prisoners released into rough sleeping reoffend within a year, compared with 32% of those with settled accommodation. That’s more than DOUBLE! And here’s the problem. That means potentially more innocent victims, more police investigations, more court costs and more pressure on a justice system that’s already struggling with capacity. So what exactly are they solving? They’re potentially sending the same criminals straight back into the prisons they’re trying to empty!'', - writes outraged Reform UK supporter Dovey Marr.

As many commentators write, this is an outright failure of Burnham's government, once again confirming its complete incompetence. Instead of fighting crime, Labour is creating new threats to society. Meanwhile, another 4,500 criminals are due to be released early over the next 10 months, many of whom have spent more than 12 years in prison.

#BrokenSystem, #TrendShock
Read more