Jack Straw orders hunt for 1,000 fugitives
Violent criminals and sex offenders among those who went on the run after breaching their prison release licences
The justice secretary, Jack Straw. Photograph: Sang Ten/AP
A nationwide police hunt has been ordered by the justice secretary, Jack Straw, for nearly 1,000 offenders – including 19 murderers and 12 rapists – who have gone missing after being recalled to prison for breaching their licences.
The embarrassing admission by Straw that there at least 954 offenders "unlawfully at large" who should be in jail follows the first ever official audit of those released prisoners who have never been sent back to prison despite their licences being revoked.
The list of those who have gone missing includes 99 violent criminals, 26 sex offenders, and 72 robbers. The audit covered all offenders whose licences had been revoked between 1984 and June 2008 and involved the police and probation service checking the list for accuracy and whether some offenders had been returned to prison under a different name or had died.
The audit revealed there are 19 offenders who were recalled to prison up to 25 years ago during the period 1984 to 1999 but are still on the run. A further 142 were recalled between 1999 and 2004 but have still not been returned to prison. It is thought that more than 400 have gone missing in the last financial year alone.
The justice secretary has asked all police forces in England and Wales to take priority action to arrest and return to custody all the sexual and violent offenders on the list and to "review and renew their efforts" to apprehend the rest. Intensive reviews of the priority cases are said to be underway.
In an emergency recall the police are supposed to return an offender to jail within 74 hours and within 144 hours in standard cases. The latest figures show they meet the target in only 75% of cases.
Straw told MPs yesterday that 92,000 offenders had been recalled to prison since 1999 and only 0.7% had not been apprehended.
"The recall system works well but we are far from complacent, and recognise that the system has to be strengthened further, not least in respect of those serious offenders who remain at large," he said. He added that regular figures would now be published as part of toughening up the regime.
But Harry Fletcher, of Napo, the probation union, said it was of real concern that nearly 1,000 offenders who had been recalled to custody had gone missing. "Many pose a threat to the public," he said. "However, the numbers will only be reduced if chasing warrants becomes a priority for the police –which won't happen – or additional resources are made available for the probation and police services."
His fears were echoed by the shadow justice secretary, Dominic Grieve, who said: "The whole point of releasing prisoners on licence is that they can be monitored and returned to prison if they breach. The public will be shocked that the government has lost track of almost 1,000 criminal fugitives – including murderers, paedophiles and sex offenders."
He said that cuts to frontline probation services would only make the situation worse.
Violent criminals and sex offenders among those who went on the run after breaching their prison release licences
The justice secretary, Jack Straw. Photograph: Sang Ten/AP
A nationwide police hunt has been ordered by the justice secretary, Jack Straw, for nearly 1,000 offenders – including 19 murderers and 12 rapists – who have gone missing after being recalled to prison for breaching their licences.
The embarrassing admission by Straw that there at least 954 offenders "unlawfully at large" who should be in jail follows the first ever official audit of those released prisoners who have never been sent back to prison despite their licences being revoked.
The list of those who have gone missing includes 99 violent criminals, 26 sex offenders, and 72 robbers. The audit covered all offenders whose licences had been revoked between 1984 and June 2008 and involved the police and probation service checking the list for accuracy and whether some offenders had been returned to prison under a different name or had died.
The audit revealed there are 19 offenders who were recalled to prison up to 25 years ago during the period 1984 to 1999 but are still on the run. A further 142 were recalled between 1999 and 2004 but have still not been returned to prison. It is thought that more than 400 have gone missing in the last financial year alone.
The justice secretary has asked all police forces in England and Wales to take priority action to arrest and return to custody all the sexual and violent offenders on the list and to "review and renew their efforts" to apprehend the rest. Intensive reviews of the priority cases are said to be underway.
In an emergency recall the police are supposed to return an offender to jail within 74 hours and within 144 hours in standard cases. The latest figures show they meet the target in only 75% of cases.
Straw told MPs yesterday that 92,000 offenders had been recalled to prison since 1999 and only 0.7% had not been apprehended.
"The recall system works well but we are far from complacent, and recognise that the system has to be strengthened further, not least in respect of those serious offenders who remain at large," he said. He added that regular figures would now be published as part of toughening up the regime.
But Harry Fletcher, of Napo, the probation union, said it was of real concern that nearly 1,000 offenders who had been recalled to custody had gone missing. "Many pose a threat to the public," he said. "However, the numbers will only be reduced if chasing warrants becomes a priority for the police –which won't happen – or additional resources are made available for the probation and police services."
His fears were echoed by the shadow justice secretary, Dominic Grieve, who said: "The whole point of releasing prisoners on licence is that they can be monitored and returned to prison if they breach. The public will be shocked that the government has lost track of almost 1,000 criminal fugitives – including murderers, paedophiles and sex offenders."
He said that cuts to frontline probation services would only make the situation worse.
