Britain: Supervision of freed criminals is a 'catastrophe'

The supervision of dangerous criminals in the community has been branded a "catastrophic failure" after it emerged that more are committing serious offences than ever before. Official figures showed that in the 12 months to April, 83 carried out further serious offences, including rape and murder, on their release from prison. This is compared to 61 in the previous year.

Twelve crimes were carried out by offenders assessed as being among the "critical few". These are around 1,200 people with the highest risk of harming the public who are meant to be under the most rigorous supervision.

Statistics from the Ministry of Justice covering England and Wales also showed a 30 per cent rise in the number of registered sex offenders charged or cautioned for breaching their notification requirements. These include keeping police informed when they move house

Serious criminals released from jail are covered by "multi-agency public protection arrangements" (Mappas). They bring together police, probation, social services and other agencies to supervise dangerous offenders once they are released from jail. Last year, they monitored 48,668 violent and sex offenders in England and Wales, up two per cent on the previous 12 months. This included 30,416 people on the sex offenders' register.

Opposition MPs said the figures showed the Government was failing in its first duty to protect the public. David Heath, the Liberal Democrats' justice spokesman, said: "This confirms that prison is clearly not discouraging these people from reoffending. "More resources need to be put into protective services at all levels to protect the public, not just those assessed to be the highest risk." Mr Heath added: "For even one offender to commit another serious offence while under supervision is unacceptable. For 83 to do so in a single year — a tenth of all the offenders released from prison — is a catastrophic failure."

Nick Herbert, the shadow justice secretary, said: ''When the system is so clearly failing to protect the public, it is extraordinary that the Government should be proposing to water down indeterminate sentences with the consequence that more high-risk offenders will be released on to our streets."

But Maria Eagle, the Justice Minister, said: "Protecting the public is of paramount importance to the Government." She added: "We have one of the most advanced systems in the world for monitoring and managing dangerous offenders. But we are not complacent and continue to look for ways to improve how we manage these offenders, and how best to support those responsible for the task locally." Miss Eagle said a new system called ViSOR (Violent and Sex Offender Register) had been introduced this month to tighten supervision. She said: "For the first time police, probation and prison services will be working on the same IT system, thus improving the quality and timeliness of risk assessments and interventions to prevent re-offending."

Officials said the proportion of offenders on Mappas who reoffend was very small though they acknowledged that more serious criminals were being reconvicted. Roger Hill, director of the Probation Service, said his staff's efforts to ensure that the protection of the public and reduce reoffending were "tireless", but added that there were "no easy solutions'

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The British "sleepwalking" myth

There is this strange upsurge of perfectly conscious behaviour in Britain that is being attributed to "sleepwalking". It's not a bad idea to establish your credentials as a sleepwalker in Britain. People have been acquitted of very serious crimes (e.g. here) after they said they were sleepwalking

A SURGE in naked sleepwalking among guests has led one of Britain's largest budget hotel groups to re-train staff to handle late-night nudity. Travelodge, which runs more than 300 business hotels in Britain, says sleepwalking rose seven-fold in the past year, and 95 per cent of guests are scantily clad men. "We have seen an increased number of cases over the years so it is important that our staff know how to help sleepwalking when it arises," Leigh McCarron, the chain's sleep director, said in a statement.

One tip in the company's newly released "sleepwalkers guide" tells staff to keep towels handy at the front desk in case a customer's dignity needs preserving. The company said naked wanderers often ask receptionists such questions as "Where's the bathroom," "Do you have a newspaper?" or "Can I check out, I'm late for work?"

Studies have found that sleepwalking can be brought on by stress, alcohol, eating cheese or consuming too much caffeine. It generally takes effect an hour or two after going to bed, when people are first slipping into a deep sleep. Asked Thursday why she thought 95 per cent of its sleepwalkers were naked men. A Travelodge spokeswoman said: "We have more men staying with us than women, so that could be a factor."

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(And don't forget your ration of Wicked Thoughts for today)