Justice Secretary: Prisoners freed early could be housed in budget hotels

Prisoners freed early to cut overcrowding in jails could be placed in taxpayer-funded “budget hotels”, according to the Justice Secretary.

Shabana Mahmood told MPs she has authorised probation directors to make use of alternative arrangements, including hotels, to ensure there “isn’t a gap” in accommodation supply for offenders at risk of homelessness.

Ms Mahmood said “it is not definite” that hotels will be required, and she pledged to provide details to the Commons, local authorities and the public should they be used.

The Government has implemented legislation to reduce the amount of time prisoners must spend in jail before they are automatically released, from 50% of their sentence to 40%.

The move – which does not apply to those convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse or some violent offences – is expected to result in 5,500 offenders being released in September and October.

They are expected to serve the rest of their sentence under “strict” licensing conditions in the community.

“Can she tell me what steps is she taking to ensure that those released under SDS40 (standard determinate sentences) today will have accommodation upon release, including in Wrexham?”

Ms Mahmood replied: “If an offender is at risk of homelessness upon release they will be housed in community accommodation, and we expect to provide housing for the majority of offenders using existing provision.

“But should there not be enough provision, I have authorised probation directors to make use of alternative arrangements including budget hotels as a temporary measure, for the cases that we will see in the next few weeks.”

For the Conservatives, shadow justice secretary Edward Argar asked: “Has the Government, at the current time, contracted any specific hotels for potential use by early release prisoners?”

Ms Mahmood replied: “I have authorised probation directors in areas to make appropriate provision if it is proved to be needed.

“At this point, it is not definite that it will be required. I’ve allowed the provision to be there to make sure that there isn’t a gap in provision for offenders being released under the SDS40 scheme.”

Mr Argar added: “I think she was saying at this time none have been contracted.

“If they are at any point… will she be open and transparent with the House, local authorities and the public about how many, at what point, and, in broad terms, where they will be located?”

Ms Mahmood replied: “Yes I will.”

He said: “What I fear is, what will be deeply disappointing, is that many domestic abusers will potentially, actually be considered.”

Mr Argar added that people convicted of GBH and ABH have “received fewer than five years and therefore potentially be eligible for early release” and are not specifically excluded from the scheme.

The former prisons minister went on to say: “Given that, the reality is that the Government’s claim that domestic abusers won’t be eligible for the scheme will ring very hollow for victims of domestic abuse and the wider public, won’t it?”

Ms Mahmood replied: “What will ring hollow to members of the public is the Tory party’s new-found commitment to exclusions for domestic abusers.

“The sheer hypocrisy of talking about exclusions to this policy when he was himself a minister in the previous government, who brought in end of custody supervised licence scheme which had no exclusions relating to domestic abuse whatsoever.”

Elsewhere in justice questions, Tory former minister Dame Priti Patel asked whether it is the Government’s intention to “cut back” 5,500 prison places in order to make capital savings.

Ms Mahmood said: “I have committed to publishing a 10-year capacity strategy, there are also live discussions as part of the budget and spending review process.

“We have committed to delivering the shortfall of 14,000 places in our prisons system that the previous government failed to deliver.”