We've written in the past about the iniquitous Prison Service rule that means if you're sent to prison for something you didn't do, and several years later they realise you're innocent and let you out, they'll also send you a bill for your board and lodging.
Never mind that if you'd been out in the world you'd have exercised your individual choice to sleep under a railway arch and eat out of the bin at the back of Burger King, while you were in prison you got five star service whether you wanted it or not, and you'll be billed accordingly.
Now we hear that prisoners who were, presumably, guilty but were released early from jail have been paid more than £5 million in 'compensation' for losing free board and lodging. So when you did it guv'nor, fair do's, 'old me 'ands up, fair cop, you got me bang to rights, your board and lodging is free, but if you're as innocent as the driven snow, it costs you. You haven't been earning because you lost your job of course, when you were convicted of whatever you didn't do, but it still costs you.
Nice.
The taxpayer-funded handouts have been made under a controversial scheme to cut overcrowding in Britain's prisons. Introduced after Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in June 2007, the end-of-custody licence (ECL) has enabled almost 50,000 prisoners to walk free before the halfway point of their sentence because of the chronic shortage of cell space.
Figures released by Justice Secretary Jack Straw show the Government has so far paid around £5.4m to prisoners to make up for loss of free board and lodging and their inability to claim benefits during the early release period.
Prison Governors have paid out £2.27m directly and the Department of Work and Pensions a further £3.11m, with a further £429,000 being spent on administering the scheme. These offenders would usually be automatically released at the halfway stage. Eligible prisoners receive a £46 discharge grant and £47 weekly subsistence payment during the early release period. An offender released 18 days early will receive around £170 cash to cover this period. Housing payments of between £50 and £70 can also be paid to cover up to three weeks rent.
Prisoners serving between four weeks and four years in jail are released up to 18 days early to ease overcrowding. Around 1,000 crimes are estimated to have been committed by the prisoners on early release, including at least three killings and two rapes. The prisoners have included nearly 10,000 violent offenders and more than 4,000 burglars. More than 1,500 criminals let out early have been recalled for breaching the terms of their release and one in ten of those are still on the run.
The Government was forced to introduce the scheme because of insufficient space to house Britain's 82,000 prisoners, but details of the payments had not previously been revealed.
I wonder why?
My old mum used to say "Honesty is the best policy", but she was wrong.
In fact honesty and innocence are absolutely the worst attributes in modern Britain. It's in modern Britain that the state rewards criminality with handouts. It's modern Britain that rewards incompetence with enormous bonuses and a wealthy retirement.
And it's modern Britain that plans to reward Senator Edward Kennedy for his many years of vociferous support for Irish terrorists with an honorary knighthood. Wonder if he gets an extra ribbon or something for Chappaquiddick?
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