Downing Street has stated that the criminal justice system would face ‘complete paralysis’ without the early prisoner release scheme, causing Keir Starmer to share the public’s anger at prisoners being released early. The spokesperson noted that the last government is to blame for the crisis in prisons, as without the scheme, there would be a breakdown of the system with courts unable to send offenders to prison and police unable to make arrests.
Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, also blamed the previous government for the prison overcrowding crisis. She announced that David Gauke, a former Tory justice secretary, will lead a sentencing review for the government. Mahmood also introduced measures to reduce the jail population, which includes extending the maximum home detention curfews from six months to 12 months.
Meanwhile, British Palestinians met with Keir Starmer to call for an emergency child evacuation scheme and urged tougher measures to break Israel’s blockade on aid. They proposed setting up a pilot evacuation scheme for Palestinian children in Gaza and a family reunification scheme for Palestinian refugees.
Ministers have paused plans to open 44 new state schools in England, while a group of left-wing MPs have called for a tax on ‘extreme wealth’ to be included in the upcoming budget. The Howard League for Penal Reform has welcomed the sentencing review, stating that it presents an opportunity for a more humane response to crime and a lasting solution to the prison capacity crisis.
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