Offenders could serve sentence in Estonian prisons to ease overcrowding
The government is not ruling out sending offenders to Estonia as a means of alleviating severe overcrowding on the UK prison estate.
Sky News understands that having offenders serve out their sentence in the Baltic state is one of many options being considered to address over-capacity on the prison estate – where there are thought to be just over 1,000 spaces left in prisons across England and Wales.
Since coming into office, Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, has warned overcrowding could lead to a breakdown in law and order if action is not taken to alleviate pressure on the system.
Last month, with the country still feeling the impact of the riots that took place in the wake of the Southport stabbings, spare spaces were understood to have been reduced to just 100 in male prisons across England and Wales – the closest the system has come to running out of capacity.
The government has already taken controversial steps to alleviate overcrowding, including by allowing the early release of prisoners who have served 40% of their sentence.
Prisoners in England and Wales, apart from the most serious offenders, are usually released on licence after serving 50% of their sentence – but from this month, this will be reduced to 40%.
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Starmer blames Tories over prisons
Magistrates were last month told to consider pushing back the sentencing of criminals because of concerns about overcrowding.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The new government inherited a justice system in crisis, with prisons on the point of collapse.
“We will continue to investigate all viable options to increase the number of places in the prisons estate so we can keep locking up dangerous criminals and protect the public.”
The idea of sending criminals on the British prison estate to Estonia was first floated by former justice secretary Alex Chalk.
He told last year’s Conservative Party conference that the then government under Rishi Sunak would enter exploratory discussions with countries in Europe over the possibility of renting prison space abroad.
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Labour can blame the Tories – but tough choices are coming
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The previous government said it would only enter into agreement with European countries provided aspects of the prison system, including facilities and rehabilitation, matched UK standards.
It argued its policy was in line with steps taken by Belgium and Norway, which have used foreign prison places in the Netherlands in the last decade.
In her first speech as justice secretary, Ms Mahmood blamed Mr Sunak “and his gang in Number 10” for being “too weak to heed the warning signs that were flashing”.
More than 10,000 prisoners were released early under the previous government between October last year and June this year, leaked documents suggest.
Politics
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
Read more on this story:
‘Fix care before assisted dying legislation’
Why assisted dying is controversial – and where it’s already legal
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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