Four times as many short- term inmates here than UK
GUERNSEY Prison has more than four times the number of inmates serving sentences of 12 months or less than the average UK prison.
The figures have been released by the prison governor Dave Matthews as he backed calls to make more alternative sentencing options available to the courts.
It comes off the back of an amendment submitted by Deputy Matt Fallaize to the Policy & Resource Plan, directing Home Affairs to review the introduction of short-term non-custodial sentences as a priority.
But Home Affairs president Mary Lowe yesterday argued that her committee was already looking at alternatives to short-term sentences.
As of 16 June, Mr Matthews said the population at Les Nicolles Prison was 81.
There are seven inmates serving sentences lasting three months or less, three with sentences lasting between three to six months, and 20 serving six to 12-month sentences.
This equates to 37% of the prison population serving sentences lasting less than a year, which compares to just 8% at the average UK prison.
