Prisoners Freed Early Could Be Housed in Hotels, Says Justice Secretary

Prisoners freed early to ease jail overcrowding could be housed in hotels, the justice minister has said. Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons on Tuesday that the emergency measures would only be required if there were not enough provision in the existing community accommodation and prisoners faced homelessness. On Tuesday, around 1,700 inmates were released early, which is on top of the 1,000 prisoners normally released every week. Mahmood said during a debate on prison capacity that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was working with colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government to understand the impact on the housing sector releasing such a large number of prisoners all at once will have....