'No dangerous inmates' in open prisons
Sunday, 8 October 2006 12:00 AM
The government has hit back at claims that John Reid was prepared to "take the risk" of transferring violent criminals to open prisons.
Attorney general Lord Goldsmith said there was "no question" that the home secretary was ready to risk an increase in escapes to solve prison overcrowding problems.
In a confidential memo leaked to the Sunday Times Fiona Radford, then in charge of Ford open prison in West Sussex, tells prison staff: "Ministers have apparently been briefed to this effect and are taking this risk."
But Lord Goldsmith told Sky News: "I'm sure there is no question of putting people in open prisons who are dangerous offenders. People will not be moved to open prisons without there being a proper risk assessment taken."
If the home secretary did decide to transfer more inmates from secure locations to open prisons, it could mean that criminals such as muggers be placed in low-security environments that are easier to escape from.
Ms Radford, whose Ford prison was the site of disgraced Conservative peer Jeffrey Archer's detention, said prisoners considered suitable for open prison transfer were those "serving short sentences for non-sexual or violent offences who are relatively low risk".
The eight-page briefing adds that Phil Wheatley, the head of the Prison Service, has accepted an increase in absconding as "inevitable".
Shadow home secretary David Davis said the memo showed "a scandalous disregard for public safety".
He said: "This government has been warned time and time again by the opposition and its own civil servants about the risks to the public of its own incompetent prisons policy.
"We see in this document that John Reid is willing for this risk to be compounded by his willingness to accept that more prisoners will abscond from open prison."
The home secretary is expected to inform MPs this week that the government plans to implement Operation Safeguard, which will see prisoners detained in police cells.
Mr Reid has also previously indicated that he will request foreign prisoners serve the remainder of their sentences in their own countries.
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