THE government wasn’t left with “any other choice” than to release prisoners earlier than planned but it will create a “big responsibility” on other parts of the justice system, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary has said.
Inmates are being released earlier than they should be to try and avert the collapse of the prison system.
This is happening as police try to rebuild trust after recent scandals, forces are still failing to meet the public’s expectations and they are letting down too many victims of crime, Andy Cooke added.
Cooke was speaking as he delivered his annual assessment of policing in England and Wales.
Police are still struggling to get the basics right and he said the inconsistencies across police forces in responding to the public and investigating crime are “unjustifiable”.
Mr Cooke said: “I don’t really see that the government had any other choice than to adopt this because police won’t stop arresting people – those that need to be arrested and placed into custody should be placed in custody.
“There is always a risk involved in it and you can’t escape that fact. The prisons are full.”
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has claimed the Government has “no option” but to release 5,500 prisoners early, with jails projected to be overflowing by September.
Mr Cooke added: “We have a system where probation is understaffed and overworked. Cases are taking too long to come to court, so I can’t think of any other solution to it than bringing that early release forward.
“However, it does place a big responsibility on the rest of the system including probation and policing to make sure that communities are kept safe.
“Policing is committed to doing so and I have no doubt that probation will also be doing the best to do that but I couldn’t see any other solution to the problem.”
Cooke stressed that without fundamental reform to the criminal justice system, victims will continue to struggle to get access to the justice they deserve.
Mr Cooke said: “The police service is trying to rebuild public trust and confidence, and they recognise the scale of this challenge.
“Too many victims of crime are still being let down by the police and the wider criminal justice system.”
He added: “The public rightly expect a responsive, thorough and caring service from the police, the wider criminal justice system, and unfortunately, too often, they are left disappointed.”
In the State of Policing 2023 report, Mr Cooke says while levels of crime are on a long-term downward trajectory, some offences, such as violence against women and girls, are still highly prevalent in society.
“The police are trying to prioritise dealing with these. We still have a long way to go to provide a service that all victims deserve,” he added.
Mr Cooke said “the right conditions need to be in place” to help officers do their jobs but there is low morale, large numbers of inexperienced workers and the police funding formula is outdated and unfair.
Funding should be distributed to where it’s needed most, he suggested.
Mr Cooke added: “Unfortunately, morale remains low. Many officers just do not feel valued by the public the government or their force.
“Some have unacceptably high workloads and others are not getting support. They need to develop and reach their full potential. Strong leadership at all levels of the service has never been more important.”
In addition, he recommended that the government’s fixed police officer hiring target should be dropped so that forces can build a more balanced and effective staff.
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Mr Cooke said public approval and respect are factors that the power of the police is dependent on but that over recent years scandals have damaged this.
He said: “We should not have to doubt whether police officers behave in a lawful, ethical and fair manner, but repeated episodes of unacceptable or criminal behaviour have brought this into question.
“We also shouldn’t have to doubt that the police will quickly pick up the phone when we call them for help.
“But too many forces are still failing to get the basics right when it comes to responding to the public and investigating crime. The police must consistently show us they deserve our trust and confidence – both in how they behave and the quality of services they provide.”
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