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<p /> <p>Temporary release can be an important tool in helping prisoners to re-adjust
safely and productively to life in the community. It is allowed to prisoners only
towards the end of their time in custody and only after a thorough risk assessment.
We are changing the approach to temporary release to give even greater weight to public
protection and the need for prisoners to demonstrate how the release will aid their
rehabilitation and increase their chances of leading a crime free life on release.</p><p>
</p><p>Prisoners are only allowed to take driving lessons if the licence is required
to help their rehabilitation, for example improving future employment prospects, thus
reducing their likelihood of re-offending. Prisoners are expected to fund the lessons
and tests out of their own pockets but may be offered some assistance in exceptional
circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The following table details the number of prisoners who
were released on temporary licence for driving lesson or tests in 2013 by offence
type; ie the principal offence for the sentence that they were serving when temporarily
released:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Offence group</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Violence</p></td><td><p>89</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sexual</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Robbery</p></td><td><p>29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Burglary</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Theft
and Handling</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Fraud and Forgery</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Drugs</p></td><td><p>51</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Motoring</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Not
known</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>TOTAL</p></td><td><p>190</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>Data
Sources and Quality</em>: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems
which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with
data entry and processing.</p><p> </p><p>190 offenders were granted temporary release
for driving lessons or tests in 2013, compared to 215 in 2008.</p>
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