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| Reid hits back in sentencing row | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Home Secretary John Reid has denied telling judges to give criminals softer sentences to ease prison overcrowding. | |
| He said he was merely re-stating existing guidelines and serious offenders should still be locked up. | |
| It comes after two judges released sex offenders saying they were following Mr Reid's advice. | |
| Mr Reid is under fire on several fronts as the Tories accused his department of descending into "anarchy". | |
| The head of the Youth Justice Board of England and Wales, Rod Morgan, earlier quit his job in protest at prison overcrowding. | |
| Blair reaction | Blair reaction |
| Mr Reid has been under fire on prison overcrowding since he and other ministers wrote to judges and magistrates asking them to imprison only the most dangerous of offenders. | Mr Reid has been under fire on prison overcrowding since he and other ministers wrote to judges and magistrates asking them to imprison only the most dangerous of offenders. |
| The prime minister and home secretary's initiatives are looking less like an agenda for respect and more like an agenda for anarchy David Davis Shadow home secretary Profile: Rod Morgan Asylum policy 'unlawful' Judge bails paedophile | |
| The subsequent release of two sex offenders has led to criticism from the Conservatives, who have accused ministers of failing to protect the public. | The subsequent release of two sex offenders has led to criticism from the Conservatives, who have accused ministers of failing to protect the public. |
| But Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, said the judges who had released sex offenders may have misunderstood the government's advice. | But Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, said the judges who had released sex offenders may have misunderstood the government's advice. |
| "The government has not said to the judges or anyone else that if people are a threat to the public, that they should be anywhere else than in custody, in prison." | "The government has not said to the judges or anyone else that if people are a threat to the public, that they should be anywhere else than in custody, in prison." |
| He added: "Yes, there's pressure on prison places - but if somebody's a danger to the public, there's no question of where they should be." | He added: "Yes, there's pressure on prison places - but if somebody's a danger to the public, there's no question of where they should be." |
| 'Wake up' | 'Wake up' |
| Earlier, Judge Graham Cottle said he had released 46-year-old Keith Morris, facing a maximum of 14 years in jail for serious sex offences, on bail pending a pre-sentence report because of prison overcrowding. | Earlier, Judge Graham Cottle said he had released 46-year-old Keith Morris, facing a maximum of 14 years in jail for serious sex offences, on bail pending a pre-sentence report because of prison overcrowding. |
| "If this case had been here last week it would have been over by now and he would be in Exeter Prison," Judge Cottle told Exeter Crown Court. | "If this case had been here last week it would have been over by now and he would be in Exeter Prison," Judge Cottle told Exeter Crown Court. |
| This follows a case on Thursday where Judge John Rogers QC gave a man convicted of child porn offences a suspended sentence because he had to bear in mind "the current sentencing climate". | This follows a case on Thursday where Judge John Rogers QC gave a man convicted of child porn offences a suspended sentence because he had to bear in mind "the current sentencing climate". |
| Another judge, Richard Bray, sitting at Northampton Crown Court, said politicians should wake up to the fact prisoners were reoffending "because judges can no longer pass deterrent sentences". | Another judge, Richard Bray, sitting at Northampton Crown Court, said politicians should wake up to the fact prisoners were reoffending "because judges can no longer pass deterrent sentences". |
| 'Swamping' | 'Swamping' |
| Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview given to BBC Two's Newsnight, youth justice chief Rod Morgan said youth courts and children's prisons were being "swamped" with minor offenders who were "cluttering up" the system. | Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview given to BBC Two's Newsnight, youth justice chief Rod Morgan said youth courts and children's prisons were being "swamped" with minor offenders who were "cluttering up" the system. |
| Echoing the row with adult prisoner places, the professor told Newsnight: "We're standing on the brink of a prisons crisis. | Echoing the row with adult prisoner places, the professor told Newsnight: "We're standing on the brink of a prisons crisis. |
| "We have tonight lots of people in police cells because there is no space for them in custody and that's true for children and young people also. | "We have tonight lots of people in police cells because there is no space for them in custody and that's true for children and young people also. |
| "I regard a 26% increase in the number of children and young people that are being drawn into the system in the past three years as swamping." | "I regard a 26% increase in the number of children and young people that are being drawn into the system in the past three years as swamping." |
| 'Anarchy' | 'Anarchy' |
| A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We refute the claim that young people are being demonised and criminalised." | A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We refute the claim that young people are being demonised and criminalised." |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Overcrowded and full prisons are indicative of a rapidly increasing crime rate Gordon, Southampton Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY Overcrowded and full prisons are indicative of a rapidly increasing crime rate Gordon, Southampton Send us your comments |
| But she added: "We remain unapologetic about the need to tackle anti-social behaviour by anyone, regardless of their age." | But she added: "We remain unapologetic about the need to tackle anti-social behaviour by anyone, regardless of their age." |
| Figures released earlier show the prison population in England and Wales is at bursting point, having reached 79,731, an increase of 356 on last Friday. | Figures released earlier show the prison population in England and Wales is at bursting point, having reached 79,731, an increase of 356 on last Friday. |
| 'Shambles' | 'Shambles' |
| In a separate development, Mr Reid admitted the government acted "unlawfully" in relation to the detention of young asylum seekers. | |
| The admission that the detention policy "did not strike the right balance" came in High Court test cases in which detained children whose said they were under 18 are seeking damages for loss of liberty. | |
| Commenting on the Home Office's troubles, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "The prime minister and home secretary's initiatives are looking less like an agenda for respect and more like an agenda for anarchy." | Commenting on the Home Office's troubles, Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "The prime minister and home secretary's initiatives are looking less like an agenda for respect and more like an agenda for anarchy." |
| Tory leader David Cameron said ministers had to stop "rearranging the chairs" on the stricken Home Office ship and "get their sleeves rolled up and deal with this crisis". | Tory leader David Cameron said ministers had to stop "rearranging the chairs" on the stricken Home Office ship and "get their sleeves rolled up and deal with this crisis". |
| Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said the resignation of the head of the youth justice board for England and Wales underlines the "shambles" at the Home Office. | Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said the resignation of the head of the youth justice board for England and Wales underlines the "shambles" at the Home Office. |
| He says John Reid has not managed to arrest the decline in the department's efficiency and he called for "a lot of new thinking" by government to "restore essential confidence". | He says John Reid has not managed to arrest the decline in the department's efficiency and he called for "a lot of new thinking" by government to "restore essential confidence". |
| Judges should have "absolute discretion" over sentencing, he added, and the should be Home Office broken up. | Judges should have "absolute discretion" over sentencing, he added, and the should be Home Office broken up. |