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| Tagged inmates committed killings | Tagged inmates committed killings |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| More than 1,000 crimes, including five killings, have been committed by prisoners released early with electronic tags fitted, it has emerged. | More than 1,000 crimes, including five killings, have been committed by prisoners released early with electronic tags fitted, it has emerged. |
| Home Office figures show tagged inmates have committed one murder and four manslaughters, among other crimes, since the scheme began in 1999. | |
| Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said a balance had to be struck between rehabilitating prisoners, and public safety. | Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said a balance had to be struck between rehabilitating prisoners, and public safety. |
| But the Tories said it showed a "shocking disregard for public safety". | But the Tories said it showed a "shocking disregard for public safety". |
| Under the Home Detention Curfew, prisoners can be released up to four and a half months early, as long as they wear an electronic tag. | Under the Home Detention Curfew, prisoners can be released up to four and a half months early, as long as they wear an electronic tag. |
| There has to be a punishment, as far as the sentence is concerned, but there has to be rehabilitation as well Gerry Sutcliffe | There has to be a punishment, as far as the sentence is concerned, but there has to be rehabilitation as well Gerry Sutcliffe |
| MPs on the Commons Public Accounts Commitee said it cost £70 a day less to enforce a curfew, than keep people in jail. | MPs on the Commons Public Accounts Commitee said it cost £70 a day less to enforce a curfew, than keep people in jail. |
| But chairman Edward Leigh said too many crimes were being committed by people released early with tags, and not enough information was getting back to the prison governors who made the decision to release them. | But chairman Edward Leigh said too many crimes were being committed by people released early with tags, and not enough information was getting back to the prison governors who made the decision to release them. |
| Mr Sutcliffe, a Home Office minister, said fewer than 4% of people with tags reoffended - compared with 67% released as usual without tags. | |
| He denied the figures meant little because those considered suitable to be released early with tags were less likely to re-offend anyway. | He denied the figures meant little because those considered suitable to be released early with tags were less likely to re-offend anyway. |
| Soaring prison population | Soaring prison population |
| "Most people see it as a good scheme to help them back into society," he told the BBC. | "Most people see it as a good scheme to help them back into society," he told the BBC. |
| "There has to be a punishment, as far as the sentence is concerned, but there has to be rehabilitation as well." | "There has to be a punishment, as far as the sentence is concerned, but there has to be rehabilitation as well." |
| He denied government policy coping with Britain's soaring prison population was "a mess" - and said 19,000 new prison places had been created since 1997, with a further 8,000 announced in July. | He denied government policy coping with Britain's soaring prison population was "a mess" - and said 19,000 new prison places had been created since 1997, with a further 8,000 announced in July. |
| This week the prison population reached a record 79,843 at the weekend with, in theory, just 125 more spaces left. | This week the prison population reached a record 79,843 at the weekend with, in theory, just 125 more spaces left. |
| Home Secretary John Reid has outlined a series of measures to relieve pressure on prisons - including freeing up 500 spaces in police cells from Thursday. | Home Secretary John Reid has outlined a series of measures to relieve pressure on prisons - including freeing up 500 spaces in police cells from Thursday. |
| Supervising persistent offenders in the community, with or without a tag, is disastrous for the public David FraserFormer senior probation officer | Supervising persistent offenders in the community, with or without a tag, is disastrous for the public David FraserFormer senior probation officer |
| It is not clear whether they will be needed yet, as Mr Sutcliffe said the number of prisoners had been "reduced" this week. | It is not clear whether they will be needed yet, as Mr Sutcliffe said the number of prisoners had been "reduced" this week. |
| Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "Compared with the soaring reconviction rates for all those leaving our overcrowded jails and the cost to the public purse of more than £11bn a year from reoffending, the Home Detention Curfew makes sound economic sense." | Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "Compared with the soaring reconviction rates for all those leaving our overcrowded jails and the cost to the public purse of more than £11bn a year from reoffending, the Home Detention Curfew makes sound economic sense." |
| For the Conservatives, shadow home secretary David Davis said the report raised serious questions about the way tagging was being used. | For the Conservatives, shadow home secretary David Davis said the report raised serious questions about the way tagging was being used. |
| "With so many serious offences being committed it is clear the government is showing a shocking disregard for public safety." | "With so many serious offences being committed it is clear the government is showing a shocking disregard for public safety." |
| And Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said flaws in the tagging system could be "laid squarely at the government's feet for failing to implement the system competently in practice". | And Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said flaws in the tagging system could be "laid squarely at the government's feet for failing to implement the system competently in practice". |
| Former senior probation officer David Fraser said the government should abandon tagging altogether. | Former senior probation officer David Fraser said the government should abandon tagging altogether. |
| "Supervising persistent offenders in the community, with or without a tag, is disastrous for the public," he said. | "Supervising persistent offenders in the community, with or without a tag, is disastrous for the public," he said. |
| "The public need to be protected from crime. It is absolutely amazing that [the government] are able, somehow, to ignore this. What must happen? They are sleepwalking into civil unrest, in my view." | "The public need to be protected from crime. It is absolutely amazing that [the government] are able, somehow, to ignore this. What must happen? They are sleepwalking into civil unrest, in my view." |