Latest news with #prisonReform
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Keir Starmer must end the injustice of indefinite sentences today
It is scarcely believable that there are still 2,614 people in prison in Britain serving indefinite sentences under legislation that was repealed 13 years ago – at a time when other prisoners are being released early because the jails are full. The government is now being given the chance to end this monstrous injustice – and to ease prison overcrowding – by adopting a plan drawn up by Lord Thomas, the former lord chief justice. Indeterminate sentences were brought in under the last Labour government as an exceptional measure for prisoners considered too dangerous to release without special safeguards. But Labour peer David Blunkett, who introduced the legislation, said that many more such sentences were handed out than he had intended, and the policy was the 'biggest regret' of his career. The sentence was abolished by the coalition government, but existing prisoners continued to be subject to the stringent rules, not knowing whether they would ever be released and, if they were, being recalled to prison for minor offences. Thus, there have been a succession of terrible cases reported by The Independent, including those of Leroy Douglas, who has served almost 20 years for stealing a mobile phone, and Abdullahi Suleman, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for stealing a laptop. Plainly, there is more to their stories than this, and the Parole Board does need to be sure that those who are released are unlikely to be a danger to the public. But it cannot be right that, had they committed their crime a day after indeterminate sentences were abolished, they would have long been freed. What makes it worse is that other prisoners, some of whom pose a greater risk to the public than they do, are being let out early to free up prison places. As we report today, Lord Thomas has led a panel of experts in drawing up proposals to give every prisoner serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence a release date within two years, and to recall them only as a last resort. James Timpson, the prisons minister and Labour peer, should accept this workable and detailed plan and seek to close this shameful chapter in the history of British criminal justice. Presumably, the only reason that he has not acted to end this scandal already is that Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, is reluctant. Having been forced to order the early release of prisoners to avoid the police having to let criminals go because there is nowhere to put them, she does not want to hand further ammunition to ignorant critics who accuse her of being soft on crime. She has shown courage in taking the difficult measures forced on her by the irresponsibility of Conservative ministers, who allowed prisons to reach crisis point. She should show some more bravery in doing the right thing, which can even be sold, in part, as another emergency measure to free up prison places. If she will not do it, Sir Keir Starmer should instruct her to. He is the law and order prime minister, the former director of public prosecutions, who understands the criminal justice system better than any minister. He cannot allow this injustice to continue and must act on Lord Thomas's recommendations. We understand that the prime minister has taken to asking officials with increasing frequency, as he gets to grips with the frustrations of trying to deliver change: 'Why not today?' Why, we should ask him, not put an end to this scandal today?
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Keir Starmer must end the injustice of indefinite sentences today
It is scarcely believable that there are still 2,614 people in prison in Britain serving indefinite sentences under legislation that was repealed 13 years ago – at a time when other prisoners are being released early because the jails are full. The government is now being given the chance to end this monstrous injustice – and to ease prison overcrowding – by adopting a plan drawn up by Lord Thomas, the former lord chief justice. Indeterminate sentences were brought in under the last Labour government as an exceptional measure for prisoners considered too dangerous to release without special safeguards. But Labour peer David Blunkett, who introduced the legislation, said that many more such sentences were handed out than he had intended, and the policy was the ' biggest regret ' of his career. The sentence was abolished by the coalition government, but existing prisoners continued to be subject to the stringent rules, not knowing whether they would ever be released and, if they were, being recalled to prison for minor offences. Thus, there have been a succession of terrible cases reported by The Independent, including those of Leroy Douglas, who has served almost 20 years for stealing a mobile phone, and Abdullahi Suleman, who is still inside 19 years after he was jailed for stealing a laptop. Plainly, there is more to their stories than this, and the Parole Board does need to be sure that those who are released are unlikely to be a danger to the public. But it cannot be right that, had they committed their crime a day after indeterminate sentences were abolished, they would have long been freed. What makes it worse is that other prisoners, some of whom pose a greater risk to the public than they do, are being let out early to free up prison places. As we report today, Lord Thomas has led a panel of experts in drawing up proposals to give every prisoner serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence a release date within two years, and to recall them only as a last resort. James Timpson, the prisons minister and Labour peer, should accept this workable and detailed plan and seek to close this shameful chapter in the history of British criminal justice. Presumably, the only reason that he has not acted to end this scandal already is that Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, is reluctant. Having been forced to order the early release of prisoners to avoid the police having to let criminals go because there is nowhere to put them, she does not want to hand further ammunition to ignorant critics who accuse her of being soft on crime. She has shown courage in taking the difficult measures forced on her by the irresponsibility of Conservative ministers, who allowed prisons to reach crisis point. She should show some more bravery in doing the right thing, which can even be sold, in part, as another emergency measure to free up prison places. If she will not do it, Sir Keir Starmer should instruct her to. He is the law and order prime minister, the former director of public prosecutions, who understands the criminal justice system better than any minister. He cannot allow this injustice to continue and must act on Lord Thomas's recommendations. We understand that the prime minister has taken to asking officials with increasing frequency, as he gets to grips with the frustrations of trying to deliver change: 'Why not today?' Why, we should ask him, not put an end to this scandal today?
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The TV star who has Gavin Newsom quaking in his boots... and his shocking plans that'll leave Liberals in meltdown
California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton exclusively spoke with the Daily Mail, revealing new policy plans and promises. This commitment to overcome crime and homelessness comes as still reels from the explosive response to 's immigration crackdown. The former Fox News star will aim to dramatically increase prison capacity in the Golden State as part of his plan to tackle the disasters he said have ramped up over the last 15 years of Democrat rule.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- ABC News
Tasmania's prison watchdog calls for end to practice of housing kids in adult watch-houses
Tasmania's Office of the Custodial Inspector says the state government is failing to keep children safe through its continued practice of placing them in adult prison watch-houses. Last week, Custodial Inspector Richard Connock published a report into the placement of children in two of the state's watch-houses — the Hobart and Launceston reception prisons. The report found "children being held in the state's adult prisons were exposed to threats of sexual abuse, violent behaviour and inhumane and degrading treatment". It also found there were 642 receptions of 222 children between December 2022 and August 2024. Alleged children and youth offenders in Tasmania are eligible for bail depending on the seriousness of their alleged crimes. If they are ineligible, they await court appearances in watch-house cells. "Children should not be in prison. This is the clear conclusion from this report," Mr Connock said. "These watch-houses look, feel, smell, sound and function like prisons.' "The vast majority of people held there are adults, and they are run by prison staff with a background in managing adults, not children." The report found children were often held for 16 to 24 hours in cells designed for temporary detention, saying they "lack the amenities and opportunities that exist in long-stay prisons, including access to fresh air and exercise". There were two cases where a child was not released for 43.5 hours. The report recommended the government develop a plan to "minimise and then stop the use of prison watch-houses for children" and develop an alternative that aligns with broader youth justice reform. Mr Connock said children told his office that "watch-houses are noisy and that they can hear adults shouting at all hours", and one child disclosed they were subjected to threats of sexual abuse by an adult. Former West Australian custodial inspector Professor Neil Morgan, who contributed to the report, said the Hobart Reception Prison watch-house was "one of the most confronting things I've encountered in a place of child custody". The report noted that prison watch-houses were "only minimally mentioned" in the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse's final report in 2023. In response to the commission to inquiry, the Tasmanian government promised to overhaul its youth justice model, but the custodial inspector fears watch-houses are being overlooked. The announced overhaul includes raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, building a new facility to replace the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, and the implementation of a therapeutic model of care in youth justice facilities. However, in the report, the the Department of Children and Young made clear to the custodial inspector that the yet-to-be-built replacement facility for the Ashley Youth Detention Centre "has not been designed as a substitute for watch-house detention". The custodial inspector, Mr Connock, said he wrote to the Youth Justice Reform Expert Panel in January 2025, raising concerns about the lack of reform for children being placed in prison watch-houses. In response, the deputy secretary of the Department of Children and Young People said the issue was "of great concern" to the panel, however "the commission of inquiry did not make recommendations specifically in relation to watch-houses". A Tasmanian government spokesperson said its Youth Justice Model of Care, released in December 2024, "provides for a coordinated and consistent approach to the delivery of trauma-informed". It also provides "evidence-based and culturally safe services to children and young people in contact with, or at risk of coming into contact with the youth justice system, and their families across Tasmania". The report found that from December 2022 to August 2024, Aboriginal children made up 40 per cent of the watch-house population, and 56 per cent of girls under 15 were Aboriginal. Girls, particularly Aboriginal girls as young as 13, were also more often subjected to searches by male staff, which is against search protocol. Protocol since 2022 is that searches should involve two people of the same gender as the child, or if gender-diverse, as requested by the child. The Tasmania Prison Service operates the watch-houses and said changes have "resulted in significantly fewer intrusive searches for children being undertaken". It said it would ensure protocol was met "as much as practicable" and investigate cases where it was not. Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service CEO Jake Smith said it was "shocking" that this can and still occurs, and called for more cultural supports for Aboriginal children. "To be searched by someone of a different gender and housed alongside adults further adds trauma. This needs to be urgently addressed. "We know that when children are arrested and particularly held on remand and go through the youth justice system that it likely leads to more crime and more offending." The report said children in watch-houses "often have nothing to do except rest or become frustrated, distressed, or bored", and are "effectively kept in isolation, unless there is another child in their cell". "Lack of social contact adds to the stress of the environment and exacerbates risk of suicide and self-harm, which are already elevated upon entry into custody," the report said. The Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management rejected that outcomes of detention in watch-houses were inherently negative — saying it can also be a "circuit breaker". "Children in watch-houses also have the opportunity to be calm and contemplative and it should be recognised that they can become so when removed from the environment and influences that have contributed to the behaviour that led to them being held there," the department said. It said eligible children were bailed "by default and as expeditiously as possible", but if not eligible, "they will attend court as soon as practicable". Tasmanian Greens MP Vica Bayley said the government needed to act, saying "it's not appropriate to incarcerate children in adult watch-houses". "There wouldn't be a person in Tasmania who wouldn't want our children looked after and cared for appropriately," he said. The Department of Children and Young People (DECYP) said the planned new Tasmanian youth justice facility in Pontville, near Hobart, which is designed to replace the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, "is expected to contribute to a reduction in the number of children entering watch-house settings". It agreed that reducing reliance on watch-houses was "an important goal". Mr Connock's report makes 12 recommendations, including implementing more culturally appropriate and gender-informed support persons, greater measures to reduce the length of stay, improving record keeping, and ensuring that girls and gender-diverse children are not disadvantaged in prison watch-houses. "The reform agenda will only succeed if it embraces all the situations where children are in custody," the report said. A Tasmanian government spokesperson said the government will consider all recommendations from the Custodial Inspector's report.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California lawmaker warns Menendez brothers' case is driving return of bill to release thousands of killers
A California lawmaker blames the attention on the Menendez brothers' case for prompting a bill to resurface that could put thousands of killers back on the streets. "California Democrats just opened the prison gates for over 1,600 cold-blooded killers," Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones, a Republican, shared in a statement with Fox News Digital. "Democrat lawmakers have proven time and time again they don't care about the victim or their family. They don't care about keeping the public safe. They care about defending killers." Jones added what makes this move even more interesting was the timing of it. Gov. Newsom Doing 'Political Calculus' Ahead Of Menendez Brothers Resentencing Decision "As soon as the Menendez brothers' situation started trending, all of a sudden this bill comes up again," Jones said. "And it's really a very kind of cynical effort to get caught up in that wave of social media, media attention, the press cycle for building somebody's name. ... So, we're opposed to this bill. Read On The Fox News App "It's a shameless attempt to ride a wave of social media sympathy with zero regard for the thousands of other brutal killers their bill could unleash." Jones said, unlike some of his Democratic counterparts, Republicans in California and the Senate are committed to keeping Californians safe. "And the way we do that is by keeping these violent felons locked up in prison where they belong," Jones said. "Dangerous Democrats are playing politics with public safety." Jones said the move to resentence Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were serving life in prison without parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, was not the right action to take. "It's pretty straightforward to me. These people were convicted of very heinous murders with a sentence of life without parole. And for us to go back on that sentencing now and then the victims to be re-victimized, the families of the murdered, to have to continuously relive this is unconscionable to me," Jones explained. Jones added what doesn't make sense in all this is Gov. Gavin Newsom's Democratic Party continues to push to protect perpetrators instead of victims and using the Menendez brothers' case to get their bill across the finish line. Menendez Brothers Could Get Freedom Under California Law Signed By Gavin Newsom: Expert "I think the legislators from LA are taking advantage of that news cycle and the social media attention that is coming from this. They think they're gonna get some Hollywood stars to come up to Sacramento and testify on this bill to promote it. I don't think that's going to happen," Jones explained. Jones was speaking about SB 672, also known as the Youth Rehabilitation and Opportunity Act, which is a California bill that would allow individuals sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed before the age of 26 to request a parole hearing after serving at least 25 years. The state Senate passed SB 672 Tuesday by a 24-11 vote. The proposal now heads to the Assembly. The bill, introduced by Democratic Sen. Susan Rubio, was amended to exclude criminals convicted of certain offenses the chance to seek parole, including those who killed a law enforcement officer or carried out a mass shooting at a school, among other offenses. "Sacramento's love affair with criminals doesn't seem to be letting up, even after 70% of Californians made it clear they wanted lawmakers to crack down on crime. Now, the state Senate is trying to let convicted murderers out of jail early," Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for California governor, shared in a statement after the bill's passage in the Senate. "It's also amazing that once the Menendez brothers found a way to apply for parole, the legislators here still doubled down and continued to push the bill through," Jones added. "And, again, it goes back to Gavin Newsom and the Democrats in California protecting perpetrators and ignoring victims." The previous bill, SB 94, would have given certain inmates serving life without parole a chance to petition to have sentences reviewed if crimes were committed before June 5, 1990, but it stalled in the legislature and did not move forward. Newsom's office told Fox News Digital it typically does not comment on pending legislation. Rubio's office told Fox News Digital she is "disappointed" some lawmakers are sharing false information. "It is unfortunate that the bill has been grossly misrepresented. I am disappointed that my friends from the other side of the aisle continue to peddle misinformation when, out of respect for them, I went over in detail what the bill does and does not do. I invited them to give me input, and the invitation is still open," Rubio's office shared in a statement. During Erik and Lyle Menendez's resentencing hearing last month, both shared emotional testimony, admitting "full responsibility" for their parents' murders after a bombshell decision by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic to resentence them. The resentencing hearing came after the brothers filed a habeas corpus petition in May 2023 citing new evidence of sexual assault. Former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón then filed a motion for resentencing in October 2024. Both filings followed the passage of AB 600, a California law allowing for resentencing of long-convicted inmates to align with current law. "There's all kinds of special circumstances, that's what a lot of these murders are called, special circumstances that, really, these people don't deserve to ever be out of prison," Jones said. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said "justice should never be swayed by spectacle" after the judge's decision. "The decision to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez was a monumental one that has significant implications for the families involved, the community and the principles of justice," Hochman said in a news release. "Our office's motions to withdraw the resentencing motion filed by the previous administration ensured that the court was presented with all the facts before making such a consequential decision. "The case of the Menendez brothers has long been a window for the public to better understand the judicial system. This case, like all cases — especially those that captivate the public — must be viewed with a critical eye. Our opposition and analysis ensured that the court received a complete and accurate record of the facts. Justice should never be swayed by spectacle." The brothers remain in prison but are now eligible for parole. They have a parole board hearing scheduled for August. Freedom For The Menendez Brothers Might Come From A Surprising Source. And This Could Be Next Jones said the Menendez brothers are "getting special attention by the media and the Democrat leadership, who are really out of touch with everyday Californians." "Look, promoting this and pushing this idea is opening a Pandora's box for 1,600 other special circumstance murderers that are in prison right now, and I just can't support moving in a direction that allows so many of those people out on parole," Jones said. "I would argue if (the Menendez brothers) are truly rehabilitated, which I have some doubts about that, but if they are, then maybe the best place for them is in prison, where they can mentor and help other people that are coming into the prison system to get their lives turned around too." Jones added that releasing Erik and Lyle Menendez is not a risk he is willing to get behind. "As a society, do we want to really take the risk of letting these two out or any of the other 1,600 special circumstance murders that we don't know by name but are in prison for the same sentence? Do we really want to roll the dice and take the risk of allowing these people out and having the opportunity for any more victims in California? And I think the answer is a resounding no," Jones said. Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and Landon Mion contributed to this report. Original article source: California lawmaker warns Menendez brothers' case is driving return of bill to release thousands of killers
