WATCH: Gove questioned by LabourList on early release scheme failures

LabourList editor Sienna Rodgers used a question at the daily coronavirus press conference today to press the government on the failures of its early release scheme.

We asked: “One month ago, the government announced a scheme to release low-risk prisoners and it was expected that up to 4,000 would be released. But after mistakes were made, the scheme was paused.

“Mr Gove, can you tell us how many risk-assessed prisoners in total, and how many pregnant prisoners, have now been released?

“Professor Powis, rates of self-harm in English and Welsh prisons were up 14% last year. With visits cancelled at the moment, are you concerned about the wellbeing of people in cells 23 hours a day?”

Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, replied: “I know that there were at least 33 people who had been released.

“I think the number is higher than that now. But after this press conference, I’ll of course talk to the Ministry of Justice and make sure that you have the accurate figures.”

Powis said: “I absolutely believe that we should be doing as much as we can to support prison health… Clearly at a time of crisis, it’s really important that we place an additional focus on ensuring that prison health is responding.”

LabourList followed up to ask: “What are you doing right now to prepare for the spike in prison population that is expected when restrictions are lifted and normal court activities get going again?”

Gove replied: “You are right that at the moment the throughput from our courts into our prisons has been lower, and that’s helped to us to manage the situation in prison.

“During the course of this week, we’ll be looking in the ministerial implementation group which I chair at both how we can make sure there are more criminal cases that are appropriately heard and also how we can ensure that the prison estate can manage.

“One part of that is making sure that we have access to additional facilities, and I think it’s the case that a former secure training centre for young offenders in Medway has been made available to the prison estate.

“But it’s also the case that the prison estate is working with the MoD and others to make sure there are sufficient spaces as and when, as you quite rightly point out, more criminal cases are heard.”

LabourList published a comment piece last week on the failures of the early release scheme, which was supposed to see 4,000 prisoners released but had only led to the release of 30 at that point.

On Monday, the Justice Secretary told Labour’s David Lammy that a total of 33, including pregnant women, had been released. This was the figure offered by Gove today.

The scheme was suspended due to an error in releasing six individuals. Earlier in the crisis, Public Health England had recommended that 15,000 inmates should be released.