Wiltshire aiding scheme to ease pressure on prison places
Prisoners can be freed after serving 40% of their sentence
Wiltshire Police has revealed how it's assisting the Government to ease pressure on the UK's prisons.
Under new measures, inmates for less serious offences can be released after serving 40% of their sentence, in order to free up spaces.
Wiltshire is temporarily housing prisoners at stations in the county with custody suites, before they're taken to a reception prison.
We're told that public safety remains the Police's top priority during this period.
Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith said: “I would like to reassure our communities that keeping victims, witnesses and communities in Wiltshire safe remains the Force’s core priority and this temporary measure will not impact on our capacity to do so.
“We are working closely with the criminal justice system, Local Authority and Health partners to manage demand in the system and ensure that the public are safe.
“Policing will continue to arrest anyone that they need to in order to keep the public safe, including policing protests and events and ensuring that people are arrested as expected.”
Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, said recently that the decision to free prisoners after 40% of their sentence was the 'least worst option'.
He said: “Despite the national issues with prison capacity, it is the core responsibility of Wiltshire Police to keep our communities, and those most vulnerable, safe and this will continue to be the Force’s primary focus in our county.
“Residents should be reassured that the Chief Constable has directed her officers to continue to arrest suspects as usual so that those who commit crimes and present risk to our communities are taken off the streets and arrangements are in place with prisons and probation services to minimise any impact locally.
“Whilst the national challenges are not felt as keenly here in Wiltshire as they are elsewhere at present, I continue in my role of supporting all agencies in the local criminal justice, and local authority, areas to work together to appropriately plan and resource in order to reduce any risk to the public."