Legal News

Government figures show that one in 10 prisoners being held in open prisons is a convicted murderer, The Sun reports.

Open prisons have low levels of supervision and the government has revealed that 363 convicted murderers and 70 prisoners jailed for manslaughter are being held in open prisons.

Last week, convicted murderer Michael Wheatley absconded from open prison HMP Sheppey Cluster – Standford Hill on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, sparking a manhunt for him.

Following his escape and capture, the Conservative MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, Philip Davies, said that the public would be “shocked” to learn that convicted murderers are being held at prisons where “they are basically free to … walk out of the gates”.

Figures for December 2013 showed that 363 convicted murderers were serving their sentences in open prisons.

Open prisons may also house prisoners convicted of child abuse or assault.

Mr Davies added:

“Most people thought that the people who were in open prisons were no real threat to anyone, who would not go up to anyone and do anyone any physical harm.

“The prison authorities try and create the impression that these cases are one-offs when you need a one-off inquiry – but this is not a one-off situation, it is general practice.

“I don’t believe that all of those 363 murderers are safe, fully rehabilitated, no danger to the public.”

In April, The Sun newspaper revealed that 106 convicted murderers had “strolled out” of open prisons in the last decade.

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