Over 140 Released Prisoners Housed In Hotels During Lockdown

During the lockdown, over 140 released prisoners have been accommodated in hotels and guest houses, including some who had been let out early to reduce overcrowding and the spread of the coronavirus infection.

The accommodation scheme is part of “Conditional Release Date”, which began using hotels earlier this year, to prevent offenders who have just been released from prison, sleeping rough on the streets during the Covid pandemic, although the government insists that the use of hotels is a “last resort”.

The BBC reported seeing a letter that was sent to hotel and B&B owners requesting their participation in the scheme, which if they accept, they will not be told the offences committed by the prisoners. The Ministry Of Justice, however, stresses that any offender that is released has been “thoroughly risk assessed”.

Though some hoteliers might be glad to fill up their rooms due to the coronavirus crisis, the unusual scheme, others might be more apprehensive after the recent incident at a Glasgow hotel in June. Six people were attacked at the hotel, being used to house asylum seekers, by a man wielding a knife, who was shot dead by police.