Release of thousands of convicts to ease prison crisis

Thousands of convicts freed to ease prison crisis - Independent

Extract:

"Thousands of non-violent inmates will be released early and an extra 1,500 jail spaces will be built in an emergency package of measures to tackle the overcrowding crisis.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton, the Justice Secretary, has been forced to take the drastic action after the prison population rose to a record 81,016 in England and Wales, with further sharp increases predicted over the summer.

He has won reluctant approval for the release plans from Tony Blair and secured more than £200m from Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, to pay for the extra places. Prison reform groups said the moves would only temporarily ease the strain on overcrowded jails, while police protested that the releases would put too much pressure on them.

Lord Falconer told peers he had decided to authorise the release on licence up to 18 days early of prisoners serving sentences of between four weeks and four years. The move is expected to result in between 1,500 and 1,800 inmates being let out early in the first weeks after the scheme comes into effect on 29 June.

Its eventual effect will be to reduce the numbers behind bars by about 1,200, buying the Government breathing space as it races to build extra prisons. Over the course of a year, 25,500 offenders could be affected by the scheme."


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Lord Falconer says that the reputations of innocent teachers should be protected from false accusations of abuse made by children and parents.

False abuse claims ruining lives of teachers, says lord chancellor - Guardian

Extract:

"Teachers' lives and reputations are being "trashed" by false allegations of abuse made by children and parents, the lord chancellor said yesterday.

Lord Falconer said the process of investigation could be "utterly ruinous" and mooted changes to the system by which even unfounded accusations have to be recorded. Every effort should be made to protect the anonymity of teachers during inquiries, he said, adding that on "too many occasions" parents and pupils became aware of allegations and the accused teachers were suspended.

Lord Falconer delighted the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) conference in Bournemouth by saying the "rightful concern" for children to be properly protected must be balanced by the fair treatment of teachers when allegations were made and vindication if they were found to be false. If a case has become public knowledge "there needs to be a process where the clearing of a teacher is made clear and public"."

Let us hope that these changes soon come to be agreed upon and implemented. Too many innocent lives have been blighted by false accusations.


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See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk
(The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)