Government to extend part-time prison plans

A scheme allowing offenders to serve part of their sentence in prison and part under supervision in the community is to be expanded, it has been announced.

The expansion starts from today, with an increase in the number of courts able to impose 'Intermittent Custody' sentences. These sentences are aimed at offenders who have committed serious offences, but do not present a serious enough risk to the community to warrant being placed in full-time custody.

The number of courts able to impose the Intermittent Custody Orders has increased from nine to 27 in the catchment area for HMP Kirkham in Lancashire. The number serving Morton Hall women's prison in Lincolnshire has also risen from 44 to 81.

There are also plans to extend the scheme in courts in three extra Probation Service areas – in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire – from June 2005.

The sentences are part of the new Criminal Justice Act, which the government is introducing in the hope that it will strengthen community punishments for 'low risk' offenders.

The Intermittent Custody Sentence was introduced at HMP Kirkham and HMP Morton Hall in January last year, with the opening of purpose-built units. 179 prisoners had received Intermittent Custody Sentences by the end of February this year.

Paul Goggins, Prisons and Probation Minister, said: "Intermittent Custody focuses on reducing re-offending by reducing the negative impact of a short custodial sentence. The early indications are that it has shown great promise in the first year in delivering a punitive custodial sentence whilst allowing prisoners to retain their employment or to maintain family links. In certain cases, sentencing offenders who are also employers to intermittent custody has even meant their employees have been able to keep their jobs."

He added: "What we are keen to do now is to encourage greater use of the sentence both in existing and in new areas, particularly for female offenders. The new courts and new probation areas will help us to achieve full use of the existing facilities at Kirkham and Morton Hall, and we are looking to open new sites in the medium term."

The Conservatives have criticised the scheme. Shadow Home Secretary David Davis was reported as saying that part-time prison sentences were inappropriate, because there was no such thing as a "weekend criminal".

(KMcA/SP)