Early release is a sign of a broken prison system | Letters
Readers respond to Andy Burnham’s review of controversial measures for the early release of thousands of prisoners to free up space in jails
There is something deeply incongruous about a penal system centred on incarceration having to release prisoners early because it has run out of room to incarcerate them (PM to tighten early release rules but men jailed over PC Harper’s death can be freed, 4 August).
The government’s latest early-release measures may be necessary to prevent our prisons from becoming completely overwhelmed, but they are surely a symptom of a much deeper failure. We appear to be operating a revolving-door policy: tougher sentencing fills the prisons, overcrowding forces early release, public concern produces calls for tougher sentencing, and the cycle begins again. It is rather like baling water out of a sinking boat without ever fixing the hole.
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