Early release scheme prisoner jailed days after leaving

A man has been jailed for a number of shoplifting offences days after being freed under the government's early release scheme.

Michael Bogle, 38, was released from HMP Wandsworth on 1 October as part of the first wave of prisoners to be let out under the plan.

Speaking to reporters outside the prison following his release, Bogle said the conditions inside were "awful" and said "people like me" should not be in prison "for a long time".

In the four days after his release, Bogle stole more than £100 worth of detergent from supermarkets in north London.

He was arrested on Tuesday and admitted the offences in court on Wednesday, resulting in an eight-month sentence.

The previous 32-week sentence he was released from early had been suspended but he was jailed for breaching its terms. He served 78 days.

Asked if he had a message for Prime Minister Andy Burnham after his early release, Bogle said: "Keep the early release going. It's good."

The scheme was brought in to relieve pressure on prisons across England and Wales which were dangerously close to reaching full capacity.

It is understood the force's highest ranking commander in north-west London referred to his case in a letter raising concerns about the early releases.

Det Ch Supt Luke Williams outlined the details of the "astonishing" case in correspondence to local politicians, which was later shared by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.

Without naming Bogle, the letter, sent on Wednesday, said he had been identified as a high-risk offender by the probation service but was released on 1 October.

"Just one day after his release" he was recorded on CCTV stealing, Williams said.

Following reports from supermarket staff that the offending continued over the following days, neighbourhood officers "spent an entire day" locating the man and bringing him into custody, the letter said.

Williams said: "While I am sure it is not surprising that someone with this history went onto reoffend, the speed with which he did so, and the impact on front-line policing, is astonishing."

"The concerning nature of the Early Release Scheme in this case was a known prolific offender being put back into the community, only to immediately reoffend," Williams said.

"Not only does this place communities at risk but puts demand straight back into policing who must arrest, investigate and put the individual into custody."

He said this case required 27 officer hours to investigate at a cost of £1,887.

Williams told the MPs and councillors that the Met "fully recognises that the government is dealing with significant pressures" in the prison system but that those pressures are being "transferred on to policing with no recognition".

He said the case was "not just a localised issue", but one being seen by Met officers across the capital.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse. If we had failed to act, the police would have been forced to halt arrests, putting communities at untold risk.

"We will never jeopardise public safety. That is why we are putting thousands more Neighbourhood Police officers on to our streets, upping police funding to £18.5bn and taking investment in the probation service to record levels."

They added that offenders released early on licence faced the "toughest-ever controls", including exclusion zones and the expansion of electronic tagging.

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