David Davies, the Conservative MP for Monmouthshire, today expressed disgust after yet another prisoner absconded from Prescoed Prison in Usk, bringing the total number of disappearances since the start of the year to thirteen.
Speaking from Monmouth today David said, “It would be disgraceful if only one prisoner had gone missing from Prescoed, but the fact that we are now up to thirteen simply beggars belief. To add insult to injury, the roll call of absentees has included violent thugs, burglars and even child molesters. How can anyone have faith in a justice system that operates an open-door policy for these most dangerous of individuals?
“It is fitting that this latest case of appalling mismanagement from the prison service comes on the back of Home Office figures which reveal that over 1000 crimes have been committed by prisoners released on the tagging scheme since it began in 1999. Shockingly, this includes five killings that would not have occurred had the perpetrators been behind bars where they so clearly belonged.
“Clearly there is something deeply and fundamentally flawed within the criminal justice system and it is absolutely no surprise that people no longer feel safe on the streets of Britain. I am absolutely convinced that it is time for a radical overhaul of the methods used to determine who is fit to be housed at Prescoed as it is unacceptable for local residents to live under this constant shadow of fear and uncertainty. I will be explaining this when I meet with the Prisons Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe on Thursday to discuss the issue.
“Furthermore, it is time that early release, including the useless tagging system, is scrapped in its entirety. Time and time again violent, dangerous and perverted criminals have been freed early only to terrorise the streets as they did before they were imprisoned. This worrying trend must be reversed and I will be continuing to campaign to ensure that honesty is returned to sentencing so the people of Monmouthshire and beyond can regain their trust in a system that has, so far, only let them down”
Please visit the Stop All Forms of Early Release (SAFER) website at www.againstearlyrelease.co.uk for more information.