Britain‘s most senior police officer has expressed concern over the government’s plan to release prisoners early, warning it could strain police resources and compromise public safety.
Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, stated that the initiative to alleviate prison overcrowding by freeing thousands of offenders early would “generate a lot of work for police”. He emphasised that releasing offenders into communities increases the likelihood of reoffending, thereby necessitating additional police intervention.
Rowley criticised the decision for being made without an assessment of its impact on policing. He noted that police forces are still awaiting detailed information from the Ministry of Justice regarding the types of offenders due for early release.
The Commissioner highlighted that police forces are already operating under constrained resources, a legacy of years of austerity measures. He pointed out that forces are smaller and less equipped to handle the current demands compared to a decade or 15 years ago.
Rowley, along with the heads of MI5 and the National Crime Agency, has written to the Ministry of Justice, cautioning that the early release plan could be detrimental to public safety. They have called for the necessary resources in the upcoming spending review to manage the plan’s impact effectively.
In addition to concerns about the early release scheme, Rowley joined five other senior police officers in warning that the government’s crime reduction targets are at risk without adequate funding.
They cited a £1.3 billion national funding gap and increasing public demand as factors that could hinder efforts to halve knife crime, reduce violence against women and girls, and recruit 13,000 new officers into neighbourhood policing.
The police leaders have urged the government to prioritise investment in policing to avoid entrenching structural inefficiencies and to ensure the success of reform efforts.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook defended the early release scheme, stating that the risk to public safety is outweighed by the necessity to address the overcrowding in the prison system. He argued that the previous administration’s underinvestment had left the system on the brink of collapse, necessitating immediate action.
The Ministry of Justice has committed to building new prisons, with plans to add 14,000 places by 2031, and to increasing probation funding by up to £700 million by 2028/29 to monitor more offenders in the community.
The debate over the early release scheme underscores the tension between managing prison overcrowding and ensuring public safety. While the government seeks to alleviate pressure on the prison system, senior police officials warn that without adequate resources and careful planning, the initiative could lead to increased crime and strain on law enforcement agencies.
As discussions continue, the balance between reforming the justice system and maintaining public safety remains a critical issue for policymakers.
