Arsonist who torched neighbour's car released early by Starmer slams the PM and says the system isn't ready and those let out are being 'set up to fail'
An arsonist who set fire to his neighbours car has criticised Sir Keir Starmer for releasing him and other prisoners early, claiming they are being set up to fail.
An arsonist who set fire to his neighbours car has criticised Sir Keir Starmer for releasing him and other prisoners early, claiming they are being set up to fail.
Terry Matthews was jailed for a year in March after destroying the vehicle in revenge after a row with the victims partner over allegedly faulty repairs to fathers van which cost £7,000.
The father-of-one walked out of HMP Nottingham yesterday, a week before he was originally due to be given his freedom, but admits he and other inmates probably shouldnt be released.
The 44-year-old said he had already run into problems after not being given accommodation on his release and said the way it was being organised was making it impossible to make a success of it.
He is one of 1,700 inmates being released this week under the governments plans to combat prison overcrowding, despite concerns that up to half of those set free could end up reoffending.
Terry Matthews told BBC Breakfast that prisoners released early are being set up to fail by the government
The father-of-one had been imprisoned after setting fire to his neighbours car in a revenge attack
The convicted arsonist was left scrambling to find a hotel room when he was released yesterday after no accommodation was arranged for him
Many of those who walked out from behind bars yesterday celebrated their early release, with friends and family holding impromptu celebrations outside prison gates, spraying former inmates with champagne.
Some of those joked that the policy had turned them into Labour voters for life, but Matthews was less enthusiastic about it despite benefiting from it personally.
He told BBC Breakfast that he understood why people might be angry that prisoners are being released before serving their full sentences.
In a way, we shouldnt be released yet because the system isnt ready, he said.
Youre just chucking everybody out, it doesnt matter what we are or who we are, they know were going to come back in.
Matthews said former prisoners were being set up to fail after he was given an appointment at a job centre despite having to be in a meeting with his probation officer 11 miles away at the exact same time.
He added that he had not had any accommodation arranged for his release, with the strict licence conditions which prevent him from returning home leaving him facing homelessness.
After the bureaucratic blunder Matthews was able to get a different meeting with the job centre and local council, before being loaned money to book a hotel room for a few nights.
His victim, who still lives next door to Matthews property, was told about his early release last week, with the convicted arsonist saying he was sorry for what he put them through.
He said: Ill never ever do something like that again. All I want to do is go to work and go back home.
Multiple inmates released yesterday revealed how they would have to spend their first night out sleeping in parks and on benches after struggles finding accommodation.
Tareen Shakil hugs his mother as he leaves prison in Birmingham six weeks early after serving half of a four year sentence for drug related offences
Former Hollywood actor Jason Hoganson puts his thumbs up after being released from HMP Durham where he was serving a sentence for attacking a woman in the street
Leaving HMP Wandsworth, Jackie Creighton said he would rather remain in prison instead of being released as he will end up on a bench tonight.
If I was in charge, I would never have left homeless people out, he told LBC yesterday. Its bonkers. Im going to end up on a bench tonight.
You feel happy youre getting out but then the reality of it sinks in. In the end, you start thinking you might as well just stay here.
Its not brilliant in there, I dont want to make it sound like I want to be in there, then I come out, probably go and drink too much or whatever and end up back in with more offences. Id rather have just sat there.
He added: Ive just left a nice warm cell, a nice padmate, television, kettle and three square meals a day.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the Commons that inmates who are homeless on release could be temporarily placed in taxpayer-funded budget hotels if there is not enough space in bail hostels and other community accommodation typically used for offenders.
A watchdog also warned it was inevitable some of the 1,700 prisoners being released on Tuesday from jails across England and Wales would reoffend and end up back behind bars.
Another former inmate, 36-year-old Shane Devlin told The Sun he had been released a month early after serving a year behind bars for actual bodily harm.
Despite his early release he questioned the scheme, arguing: All theyre going to do is put the people from the riots in. Theyre just going to empty it out and fill it up with new people.
Plus most people reoffend so theyll be straight back in.
A man released from HMP Nottingham is sprayed with sparkling wine by well wishers outside
A man drops a bag of belongings on the floor as he is reunited with loved ones outside HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey
The releases are in addition to the around 1,000 inmates normally freed each week.
Ms Mahmood announced plans in July to temporarily cut the proportion of sentences which inmates must serve behind bars from 50 per cent to 40 per cent as the Ministry of Justice said overcrowding had pushed jails to the point of collapse.
Telling MPs today that the scheme coming into force was the start of the rescue effort for the justice system, she added: I have authorised probation directors to make use of alternative arrangements including budget hotels as a temporary measure, for the cases that we will see in the next few weeks.
Liam Fitzpatrick, 34, was released from HMS Wandsworth after serving 18 months of a three-year sentence for a driving offence and fighting.
He said: Im happy to be out for this. Im grateful to Starmer, Im a lifelong Labour supporter. Out with the old, in with the new.
Theres been lots of happy people today. Im Labour through and through.
Ross Heathorn, 46, said he was heading straight to McDonald’s to celebrate his freedom. ‘It feels good to be free,’ he said.
At HMP Nottingham, where Matthews was released yesterday, a fellow freed inmate in a grey tracksuit was soaked with bottles of £6.95 ‘I heart Bubbly’ after exiting the prison gates.
More sparkling wine was sprayed in the air outside Wandsworth prison, south London, as a group of young men celebrated their friend’s release.
Cheers went up as the young man, named only as Daniel, left the Victorian jail and was quickly embraced by a woman before joining the rowdy group.
Stuart Bennett dances in the street outside HMP Leeds as he is released early yesterday
Liam Fitzpatrick shouts and holds two bags in the air as he leaves Wandsworth Prison in London yesterday
The friends, who arrived in a fleet of luxury cars including a black BMW, passed the hours in the lead-up to his release listening to music, smoking and laughing in what resembled a party atmosphere. They brought along two £17.99 bottles of Luc Belaire Luxe sparkling wine, which were shaken and sprayed as their friend exited the prison gate.
One offender released from HMP Wormwood Scrubs after serving 19 months of a three-and-a-half year sentence for drugs offences, said he was pleased to be out but added: ‘I don’t know if I agree with everybody being released early, especially for more serious crimes.’
Downing Street said the scenes of freed prisoners being sprayed with sparkling wine, cheered by friends and hailing Labour were completely unacceptable.
Asked about the celebrations, a spokesman told the Telegraph: Absolutely – the situation is completely unacceptable. It is, however, the right thing to do to make sure we did not face a situation where criminality would be left unchecked on our streets because we didnt have enough prison places.
So this was a difficult decision – but it was the right thing to do to protect public safety. Well be working closely with the criminal justice system, prisons probation and police to monitor this very carefully and ensure that they have the support they need to deliver this safely.
Downing Street also said the policy had to be brought in to avoid unchecked criminality where the police and courts are unable to lock anyone up because there are no free cells.
MoJ figures showed the prison population hit a record high of 88,521 on Friday, having risen by more than 1,000 inmates over the past four weeks.
Meanwhile it emerged Rishi Sunak ignored calls from Britains most senior police officers a week before the election warning him that failure to trigger the so-called SDS40 policy would be exploited by criminals.
Asked if the PM was comfortable with the scenes, a No10 spokeswoman said he was not, adding: The situation is completely unacceptable. It is, however, the right thing to do to ensure that we did not face a situation where criminality would be left unchecked along the streets because we didnt have enough prison places.
A letter obtained by The Times dated June 27, signed by figures including Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and the chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council Gavin Stephens, said the overcrowding crisis in prisons was hampering police officers ability to do their job as they urged the then prime minister to put the plan in motion immediately because it would take many weeks to safely implement.
Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said the Government had no choice but to do something about overcrowding because the bath was in danger of overflowing, and they either had to turn the taps off or they had to let some water out.
But he warned it was inevitable that some of these prisoners will get recalled to custody and that some will be homeless on release - increasing the risk that they could go on to commit more crimes.
At HMP Manchester, formerly Strangeways, luxury cars cruised the streets as relatives waited for prisoners to be released. A Mercedes SUV and Land Rover greeted one offender who changed from a tracksuit into a new set of clothes.
Groups of inmates were also seen walking out of Brixton, Durham and Liverpool jails.
