Camilla Tominey grilled Justice Secretary Alex Norris over Labour’s early release scheme, highlighting concerns over reoffending and risks to victims of domestic abuse.
The GB News host took the Cabinet Minister to task after a prisoner freed under the measures told The People’s Channel he would “go back to stealing”.
“I’m gonna go stealing again… Whatever I get, whatever I get,” he told GB News.
Another at the London prison thanked Prime Minister Andy Burnham as he strolled to freedom without an electronic tag.
Camilla was keen to take Mr Norris to account following the extraordinary footage.
“We should not be releasing from prison criminals that openly admit that they’re going to go back to thieving stuff from shops, should we?”
Camilla Tominey grilled Justice Secretary Alex Norris over Labour’s early release scheme
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GB NEWS
The Justice Secretary insisted offenders leaving prison remained subject to licence conditions and said those who breached them could be recalled to jail.
“The reality is that anybody leaving prison is leaving prison under licence,” Mr Norris said.
“In this case, the most significant controls that we’ve ever had, the broadest range as well.
“If they’ve reached their licence, well, they’re going back to prison.”
Freed prisoner David Elliott told GB News he would ‘steal again’ after being granted early release
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GB NEWS
The Government has introduced tougher restrictions on offenders leaving prison, including a presumption that they will be electronically tagged, alongside restriction zones and bans from locations including pubs, clubs and football matches.
Camilla then raised concerns from victims of domestic abuse whose perpetrators are being released.
“There is a great concern among the victims of men who have beaten up their partners,” she said.
“They’ve gone into hiding. People are saying, listen, we can understand the prisons are overcrowded, but for goodness sake, do not release people who are wife beaters. What’s your response to that?”
Mr Norris insisted proper safeguards were being put in place
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GB NEWS
Mr Norris said the Government had excluded murderers and terrorists from the early-release arrangements and had subsequently removed offenders convicted of rape and child sex offences from the scheme.
He said ministers had wanted to go further, but argued the prison system was facing a capacity crisis.
“Those who committed rape offences, child sex offences, those who’ve taken life, we would have liked to have gone further,” Mr Norris said, adding: “I’ve said that very candidly to GB News viewers.”
The Justice Secretary said domestic abuse offenders would face “very significant controls”, including tagging, exclusion zones and restrictions on their movements.
That could include bans on going to football matches, driving and entering the “nighttime economy”, he said.
“We’ve been engaging with victims to say, what is it that you do in your life so that the perpetrator can work around them rather than the other way around, as has been the case for so long?”