Long-term prisoner release process: consultation

Introduction

1. This consultation seeks your views on proposed changes to the long-term prisoner release process. Long-term prisoners are those sentenced to 4 years or more in prison.

2. Our intention is to bring forward the point at which some long-term prisoners are released. This would mean that they spend less time in custody and more time in the community before the end of their sentence. In the community, they would be subject to licence conditions, supervision, and recall. Public and victim safety would remain an absolute priority, with specific support and supervision in place reflecting the outcomes of individualised risk assessment.

3. This proposal forms part of a range of measures designed to respond to the rising prison population, which has reached critical levels.^[1] It is also intended to better support the reintegration of long-term prisoners by providing those leaving prison with a more managed return to their communities, with access to the support and rehabilitation they need for a longer period of time. Assessed risks would be managed in the community with the aim of supporting reintegration and reducing reoffending.