MacAskill: Hawk should not have been in open jail
The Daily Express: 28 May 2009 >> article

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill was forced to admit yesterday that a violent criminal who fled an open prison should not have been there under rules he introduced a year ago.

VIEWPOINT: Although there can never be a 100% guarantee, professionals are becoming increasingly expert at risk assessment and management of offenders in open prison. With more robust multi-agency arrangements in place, support and supervision of those released should also be much more effective than was previously the case.

However, this only works if the processes are followed through properly. The current environment of overcrowded prisons only makes it more difficult for the prison service to carry out these checks with the necessary thoroughness. Until this pressure is eased by increasing the use of supervised bail for many remand prisoners and the introduction of community payback orders for short-term prisoners, the possibility of serious errors being made will remain.

Spending part of a sentence in open conditions, with home leave is an essential part of a prisoner’s safe reintegration into the community. This is particularly the case for the increasing numbers of prisoners serving long sentences.

Prior to their release, it is important that prisoners can re-establish links with family and friends and have proper access to external agencies and throughcare services to help ease them back into their communities. If this is not done properly, there is an increased risk of reoffending as prisoners struggle to adjust to living “outside”.

Throughcare services provide guidance and support to help prisoners with housing, healthcare, training, employment and many other areas of life which have become unfamiliar and unnecessary to them whilst in prison. These services always work best when engagement takes place before release and open prison greatly improves the opportunities to address this effectively. As has frequently been stated by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, effective rehabilitation is extremely difficult in the current climate of overcrowded prisons and the resultant strain on resources.

Open prisons have an important part to play in the rehabilitation of prisoners. Any reduction in their use would be detrimental to public safety by increasing the likelihood of reoffending by released prisoners who are not sufficiently prepared for life outside prison.