Blair: We had no choice over early release

Blair 'regrets' prisoner choice

Wednesday, 20, Jun 2007 12:00

The government was forced to order the early release of prisoners, Tony Blair admitted today.

The prime minister told MPs he regretted the decision to release thousands of prisoners before the end of their sentence, but said the prison service had no choice until extra prison places are created.

Yesterday, the lord chancellor announced some offenders sentenced to less than four years in prison would be released 18 days earlier, after the prison population reached a record 81,086 on Monday.

Mr Blair said today more prison places would be built and this was a "temporary" measure.

In prime minister's questions, David Cameron accused Mr Blair of spending his final weeks in power "opening the prison gates and releasing 25,000 prisoners onto our streets."

Mr Blair said he regretted the move, but insisted there was no choice.

However, he strongly defended the government's record on law and order, arguing prison capacity had been breached because of the government's toughness on crime.

The prime minister outlined the stresses on the prison system; Sentencing has increased by 25 per cent, indeterminate sentences are now used for violent and sexual offenders and the Home Office recalls prisoners who breach their licence conditions.

Mr Blair said: "When we build the new prison places - a further 8,000 with another 1,500 - we can retrieve this situation.

"I regret having had to do it, but it was necessary to do it."

However, Mr Cameron accused the government of failing to plan for an increase in prisoners. He claimed the Home Office had been warned in 2002 capacity would be breached.

Mr Blair insisted that the government works on annual projects and the record figures had breached even top-end projections for this year.

The Ministry of Justice said the early release programme will reduce the daily prison population by 1,200. Violent and sexual offenders will not be eligible.