Probation chiefs have admitted handing tents to convicted criminals released early under Labour's scheme, prompting warnings that offenders are being left "roaming the streets" and "free to commit more crime". Justice minister Catherine McKinnell called the practice "completely unacceptable" and insisted it is "not government policy" for inmates at risk of homelessness to be given a tent upon release, adding that tents "should never be an acceptable housing solution".
Warnings of Untagged Offenders
Justice chiefs have been warned that those classified as homeless would not be tagged, raising fears of a new crime wave. Tory MP Sir Ashley Fox argued that issuing those leaving prison with tents is "setting them up to fail", while fellow Conservative Esther McVey warned those classed as homeless would not be tagged, leaving them "roaming the streets without any way of locating them, free to commit more crime".
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said: "So chaotic is Labour's early release scheme, prisoners are being given tents instead of housing upon release. As a matter of policy, these prisoners will be in probable breach of their licence and tagging conditions, which require them to have an approved address – all because the Probation Service is overwhelmed."
Claims of Public Safety Risks
Mr Timothy added: "Labour are taking terrible risks with public safety. The Justice Secretary said he'd bring in the toughest tagging regime in British history ahead of their early release scheme. Fast forward: dangerous prisoners are leaving without tags, some are being handed tents to live in, and the Met is dealing with over 100 tag breaches a day. And twenty-six days into the scheme, the Justice Secretary still cannot say how many criminals have been tagged. He cannot even tell us whether the safeguards he promised are in place. He must answer for Labour's appalling early release crisis."
Mr Timothy also claimed the Metropolitan Police's decision to scale back its enforcement of tag conditions was a result of the Government's early release scheme. This follows Sky News reporting that officers will not respond to curfew or tag battery breaches lasting less than an hour unless the person is considered a particular risk to the public, under a new pilot scheme.
Ms McKinnell replied: "It's really important not to conflate the release of prisoners and the tagging policy, which we are working at pace to improve from the situation we inherited, and other demands on the police, which we are working very closely with them to resolve."
Court Backlog Concerns
Lawyers have also condemned plans to "shift" 25,000 cases from the Crown Courts to Magistrates' Courts, accusing Labour of fuelling a new backlog crisis in the lower court, with the argument based on "out-of-date, inaccurate projections". The Criminal Bar Association says Government estimates predict a 15% increase by March 2027, but in the first six months of this year, it only increased by 0.46%.
Magistrates will hear "more" serious cases, including child sex allegations and violent crimes, lawyers believe. The backlog in magistrates' courts has soared from 168,870 to a record 195,969 in June. Andrew Thomas KC, Chair of the Criminal Bar Association, said: "The Government wants to move 25,000 cases, more serious, more complex cases from the Crown Court to the Magistrates where that open case backlog has already risen by over 25,000 in a year, amid record numbers of trial postponements. They are not fast tracking those cases: they are simply shifting them to the back of an even longer queue."
Mr Thomas added: "Ministers' forecasts for the Crown Court backlog rising inexorably without check are woefully inaccurate. Parliament is being asked to make fundamental changes to centuries-old rights under our unwritten constitution. Asking Parliament to base their decision on out-of-date, inaccurate projections which carries real dangers. Among the thousands of cases to be shifted down to the Magistrates are likely to be those involving historic sexual abuse allegations, some including offences against children. Magistrates saw their sentencing powers doubled to 12 months in November 2024. Since then Magistrates case backlogs in key parts of England have risen far greater than the 16% national average."
