Government defends early release scheme after freed prisoner charged with sexual assault

The authorities has defended the aboriginal merchandise of prisoners aft it emerged a erstwhile inmate is alleged to person sexually assaulted a pistillate connected the aforesaid time helium was freed.

Amari Ward, 31, was released arsenic portion of the policy, which aims to easiness situation overcrowding, connected its archetypal time connected Tuesday.

The antheral appeared astatine Croydon Magistrates' Court connected Thursday charged with intersexual battle and is owed to look astatine Maidstone Crown Court adjacent month.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the aboriginal merchandise strategy was indispensable due to the fact that it had "inherited prisons successful situation and connected the brink of collapse" and reoffenders would beryllium punished.

Ward is alleged to person "intentionally touched" a pistillate who did not consent successful Sittingbourne, Kent, connected Tuesday, according to tribunal documents seen by the BBC.

He was arrested astatine an code successful southbound London.

Ward was charged with intersexual assault, denied bail and recalled to situation connected Thursday.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "The Government inherited prisons successful situation and connected the brink of collapse.

"Had that happened, the courts would person been incapable to clasp trials and the constabulary to marque arrests.

"We had nary prime but to present exigency measures, releasing immoderate prisoners a fewer weeks oregon months early, portion excluding a fig of offences and imposing strict licence conditions.

"While we cannot remark connected the details of immoderate azygous case, those who interruption their licence conditions oregon perpetrate further crimes volition beryllium punished."

Around 1,750 prisoners were freed aboriginal connected Tuesday from jails crossed England and Wales.

The government's latest iteration of the strategy came aft July's wide election, but officials had already been drafting it up erstwhile the Conservatives were successful power.

In May, erstwhile Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was challenged implicit the aboriginal merchandise of unsafe criminals nether the scheme.

During PMQs, Sir Keir Starmer asked for a warrant that nary criminals considered precocious hazard were freed early.

The erstwhile PM insisted no-one deemed a menace to nationalist information would beryllium eligible.

The aboriginal merchandise argumentation sees the proportionality of sentences which immoderate inmates indispensable service down bars temporarily chopped from 50% to 40%.

Criminals serving situation sentences of little than 4 years for convulsive offences, including manslaughter, are among those eligible to beryllium freed nether the scheme.

Despite authorities efforts to forestall home abusers from leaving situation early, the restrictions volition not use to each criminals with a past of specified unit arsenic the argumentation lone excludes peculiar offences specified arsenic stalking.

Attackers convicted of different crimes specified arsenic threats to termination oregon existent bodily harm could inactive suffice for aboriginal release.

Rioters progressive successful this summer's unrest are besides not specifically excluded from aboriginal release. They volition lone enactment down bars for longer if they are serving much than 4 years for a convulsive offence.

Terrorists and enactment offenders are excluded and volition not beryllium freed early.

This month, prisons reached a grounds colonisation of much than 88,500.

Officials had antecedently said that immoderate of those released were apt to reoffend.

Earlier this month, Martin Jones, HM main inspector of probation, said: "There is also, I think, a certainty that immoderate volition reoffend."

He added that the hazard of superior offences was uncommon but a hazard that could not beryllium eliminated.