In praise of ... open prisons

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/19/editorial-in-praise-of-open-prisons

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It is shocking that a murderer, Arnold Pickering, absconded on day release at the weekend. It is a relief that he was recaptured on Monday. The case comes after the absconding by Michael Wheatley, a convicted armed robber who was also soon recaptured. These cases should be investigated and lessons applied. A presumption against former absconders being sent to open prisons may be needed. But there is not a crisis in absconding from open prisons. On the contrary. Absconds have fallen from a high of 1,300 in 2003-04 to 204 in 2012-13. That year, and in every year this century, Home Office figures show that 99.9% of releases on licence ended with offenders returning as required. Yes, between six and 17 sentenced murderers have absconded each year since 2006-07. Yet of these a total of one remains at large. One too many. But no reason for a mischievous policy panic about open prisons a couple of days before the local elections.