Prisoner freed under early release scheme jailed again within days

A 38-year-old man has been sentenced to eight months in prison in England for a series of shoplifting offences committed within days of being freed under the government's early release scheme. The programme was introduced to ease pressure on prisons in England and Wales, which were dangerously close to full capacity.

Michael Bogle was released from HMP Wandsworth in London on 1 October, among the first wave of prisoners let out under the plan. Speaking to reporters afterwards, he described conditions inside as "awful" and said people like him should not be in prison for a long time. Asked for a message for Prime Minister Andy Burnham, he said the early releases should continue.

Over the following four days, Bogle stole detergent worth more than £100 from supermarkets in north London. He was arrested on Tuesday and admitted the offences in court on Wednesday. He had been freed from a suspended 32-week sentence, which was activated because he breached its terms. He had served 78 days.

Police concerns

The Metropolitan Police's most senior commander in north-west London, Det Ch Supt Luke Williams, referred to the case in a letter to local politicians. It was later shared by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp. The letter did not name Bogle but said the probation service had identified him as a high-risk offender, and that CCTV recorded him stealing one day after his release.

Williams said the case took 27 officer hours to investigate, at a cost of £1,887. He argued that pressures on the prison system were being "transferred on to policing with no recognition", and that the issue was not confined to one area but was being seen across the capital.

Government response

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the government had inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse. The spokesperson added that offenders released early on licence faced the "toughest-ever controls", including exclusion zones and expanded electronic tagging.