The Rev. Anton Mittens 🌹👮🎓

Imagine being the victim of a violent crime. You find the courage to stand up in court, face your attacker and finally see them sent to prison. Then you discover they could be back on your streets after serving just a THIRD of their sentence. What was the point of the sentence? Today, hundreds more prisoners are being released early. And who is left worrying about the consequences? The victims. I spent years prosecuting criminals. I’ve seen the devastating impact crime has on victims and their families. I’ve seen how much courage it takes to give evidence and how hard the police work to secure a conviction. Now look at what’s happening in London. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has reported more than 100 electronic tag breaches a day, with officers arresting two or three early-release offenders every week. And more than 95% of those arrested for tag breaches are reportedly bailed back into the community under the same conditions. What sort of deterrent is that? Our police are already stretched dealing with knife crime, robberies and repeat offenders. Now they’re being asked to deal with the consequences of a prison system successive governments failed to expand. And it’s the public who are expected to carry the risk. A prison sentence should mean something. A victim’s suffering should mean something. And public safety should come before prison overcrowding. We need to deport foreign criminals, build more prison places and make sure offenders serve proper sentences. Because when a criminal gets an early release, it’s the victim who can end up serving a life sentence of fear.