Prisoner Early Release Scheme

Lord Goddard of Stockport Excerpts

Thursday 23rd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his question. I was remiss in not doing so earlier, but I join him in paying tribute to my colleague, my noble friend Lady Levitt, and, indeed, to my noble friend Lord Timpson, for all the hard work that they have done, particularly in the case of Lord Timpson on reforming not just the prison system but the probation system. We are investing a record amount of £700 million in the reform of the Probation Service and the technology it uses. That is just as important as dealing with those who we deem fit for release.

When we talk about releasing people who are on very short sentences, I understood that the Sentencing Act sought to cut the cycle of crime, whereby people went into prison for short sentences and all that did was teach them how to become better criminals, not better people. We need to make sure that, if people go to prison, they are in there for long enough and that it does a proper job of rehabilitation, making sure that, if they are on drugs or have an alcohol problem, that is centred. The main thing that prison should do is not only protect the public but cut the reoffending rates.

[Lord Goddard of Stockport (LD)]

My Lords, I echo the sentiments of the noble Lord, Lord Pannick. Andy Burnham uses the northern phrase that we have to “get it”. What is the point of getting it when you lose Ministers of the quality of the noble Lord, Lord Timpson, and the noble Baroness, Lady Levitt, who clearly get it? These Benches are dismayed that they have lost their places, because they added so much value to the debate on this sensitive issue.

Does the Minister agree that, in a fully functional justice system, no victim or their loved ones should ever be told that the perpetrator is to be released earlier than expected? Now that the Government claim to have increased capacity in the Prison Service, will they take the opportunity to restore confidence among victims by correcting this unfairness?

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his question. We are all about restoring public confidence in the criminal justice system. That includes, as I said, making good the sore lack of investment that we saw in our prison system. It is important to be clear that victims are at all times at the centre of our thoughts when it comes to the whole of this policy issue. Indeed, one of the reforms in the Sentencing Act is that victims are given a chance to inform licence conditions if a prisoner qualifies for release. That could cover a number of things, such as tagging, an exclusion zone or a non-contact scheme. The noble Lord is right that victims must always be at the absolute front and centre of our minds when it comes to this issue. But we need to make sure that we have enough space to take prisoners who should be in prison, and that when they are in prison it does the job of protecting the public and preventing reoffending.