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Plans to house criminal suspects near family homes

Alarm at further plans to house criminal suspects near family homes – More controversial bail hostels to be imposed by Labour without consultation as prisons overflow

3rd February 2009

Concern was raised today at Government plans to expand the use of controversial bail hostels – effectively small open prisons – in residential neighbourhoods. The hostels, used to house early release prisoners and criminal suspects, are being opened across the country by Labour Ministers because of insufficient prison places. They hostels are being imposed on local communities without consultation.

The bail hostels, funded by public money and run by a private company called ClearSprings, house offenders released before the end of their sentences, and people on bail awaiting trial for criminal offences who otherwise would be remanded in custody.

A leaked memo reveals that hostels can be opened without public consultation and do not even require the consent of councils or the Probation Service. The hostels’ neighbours will only be informed about the plans by letter once the hostels have been given the go-ahead.

Parliamentary Questions have forced Labour Ministers to reveal the locations of existing bail hostels, listing a partial postcode and the Parliamentary constituency. It has now been confirmed that there are bail hostels in the RG1, RG2 and RG6 areas of Reading East, however Ministers have failed to reveal precise street names. The offenders or criminal suspects are free to come and go with only limited supervision.

The Government is planning to expand these bail hostels across England and Wales – potentially including Reading East.

Commenting on the new bail house scandal, Reading East MP, Rob Wilson, said, “Today, bail is too easily granted, frequently breached and weakly enforced. Now, because Labour Ministers have failed to provide enough prison capacity, they have devised a covert plan to set up mini open-jails in residential areas, avoiding any consultation with the public. I am continuing to resist these bail houses being placed in completely inappropriate places in my constituency. I will be asking both the local authority and the Police to clarify their position with regard to this matter.”

“This is not a responsible way to assist offenders, who receive minimal supervision and support, when what they need is a long-term programme of resettlement.

“Conservatives will immediately suspend this programme. In place of these clumsy emergency measures, we need a proper programme of prison reform to focus on rehabilitation and ensure that public safety and confidence is maintained,” he concluded.

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