The federal government has defended the early launch of prisoners after it emerged a former inmate allegedly sexually assaulted a girl on the identical day he was freed.
Amari Ward, 31, was launched as a part of the coverage, which goals to ease jail overcrowding, on Tuesday.
He appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Courtroom on Thursday charged with sexual assault and is because of seem at Maidstone Crown Courtroom subsequent month.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) mentioned the early launch scheme was crucial as a result of it had “inherited prisons in disaster and getting ready to collapse”. Reoffenders could be punished, it added.
Ward is alleged to have “deliberately touched” a girl who didn’t consent in Sittingbourne, Kent, on Tuesday, in keeping with courtroom paperwork seen by the BBC.
He was arrested at an tackle in south London.
Ward was charged with sexual assault, denied bail and recalled to jail on Thursday.
A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesperson mentioned: “The federal government inherited prisons in disaster and getting ready to collapse.
“Had that occurred, the courts would have been unable to carry trials and the police to make arrests.
The spokesperson mentioned those who breach licence circumstances or reoffend could be punished.
Round 1,750 prisoners had been freed early on Tuesday from jails throughout England and Wales.
Underneath the early launch coverage, some inmates had been launched after serving 40% of their sentence, as an alternative of fifty%.
The federal government’s newest iteration of the scheme got here after July’s normal election, however officers had already been drawing it up when the Conservatives had been in energy.
Some criminals serving jail sentences of lower than 4 years for violent offences are amongst these eligible to be freed beneath the scheme.
The scheme additionally excludes these convicted of home abuse, and what the federal government calls “related crimes”, resembling stalking and controlling or coercive behaviours.
Rioters concerned on this summer time’s unrest are additionally not particularly excluded from early launch. They are going to solely keep behind bars for longer if they’re serving greater than 4 years for a violent offence.
Terrorists and intercourse offenders are excluded and won’t be freed early.
This month, prisons reached a file inhabitants of greater than 88,500.
Officers had beforehand mentioned that a few of these launched had been prone to reoffend.
Earlier this month, Martin Jones, HM chief inspector of probation, mentioned: “There may be additionally, I believe, a certainty that some will reoffend.”
He added that the danger of significant offences was uncommon however a danger that would not be eradicated.
