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<p /> <p /> <p>Carefully managing prisoners into the community on temporary licence
toward the end of their sentence is a key part of efforts to rehabilitate them back
into society. Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) plays an important role in public
protection by ensuring that offenders are tested in the community under strict conditions
before being released. It also provides a valuable means of helping prisoners prepare
for their resettlement in the community by, for example, finding work or rebuilding
links with their families, which helps to reduce reoffending.</p><p> </p><p>But this
should never be at the expense of public safety which remains our absolute priority.</p><p>
</p><p>In March this year, the Government announced plans to improve temporary release
policy and practice following reviews prompted by three very serious incidents last
year. A key part of these plans is to have a new scheme of restricted ROTL for serious
offenders. In those cases, there will be more stringent risk assessment procedures,
with greater involvement of psychology and probation professionals and more restrictive
licence conditions. In addition, and as soon as suitable equipment is available, we
will be able to tag offenders on temporary release.</p><p> </p><p>In the vast majority
of cases ROTL is used effectively and successfully. Prisoners fail to comply with
licence conditions in less than one tenth of one per cent of cases.</p><p> </p>
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