Prisoners welcome early release – but some fear being sent straight back to prison | UK news

The inmates welcome their early release, but some fear it won’t be long before they are back behind bars.

About 1,750 people were expected to be released on Tuesday to reduce overcrowding, while warning that the move could be “risky” and it was “inevitable” that some would relapse.

The government has said that the policy of releasing prisoners before serving half their sentence must be introduced to prevent a “total collapse of the criminal justice system”.

Outside Brixton Prison in the south LondonA 26-year-old man who was released after serving 17 months, or 40%, of his sentence for grievous bodily harm said he hoped to find work in prison after completing a painting and decorating course.

“You have to rehabilitate yourself there. That’s what I did,” the man, who wished to remain anonymous, told Sky News.

“You have to try to use everything you have there to improve, but you’re not necessarily encouraged to do so and bad behavior is often encouraged there.”

Others released from Category C prison were less optimistic about their prospects on the outside.

Damian Jones, 40, said he was “glad” to be released after serving five months of his one-year sentence for assault.

“Could be risky”

However, he acknowledged that releasing violent offenders early could be “risky” and believes the conditions of his release, such as a ban on alcohol, would result in him being sent back to prison.

“To be honest, I just feel like I’m coming back right away because they put all these conditions on me,” he said.

“I don’t think I’ll reoffend when it comes to committing crimes, but there’s a 99% chance I’ll be called back.”

Like other released prisoners, he complained about overcrowding (all cells were occupied) and the poor conditions in the prison. Parts of the walls were falling off, the toilets were broken and the mattresses were thin.

“It doesn’t work”

Mark Burke, 52, from Dublin, said he had been “in and out of prison” and “it’s not working.”

He said he was “somewhat disturbed” when he was released about three months after starting his 32-week sentence for shoplifting “high-value goods”.

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Burke said some inmates intentionally commit acts of violence behind bars to get placed in solitary confinement, but praised the drug-free wing, which he said helped him.

“Will I come back? I hope not, but you can’t say, can you?” he said.

“They simply relapse”

For many, finding accommodation is also an important concern and crucial to avoiding trouble.

One woman released from Send Prison in Surrey told Sky’s Molly Malone: ​​”Obviously I’m grateful to be getting out early, but my main concern was about my accommodation. And that’s still a concern for me today as I leave prison.”

She said she had no place to stay because she was leaving earlier than planned and the accommodation provided for her was not available.

She said she has turned her life around, going from being a drug addict to a drug worker, but is worried about her future prospects without a stable home.

“If people don’t get housing in prison, they’ll just relapse,” she said. “Then the same thing happens over and over again.”