| answer text |
<p>The information requested is extracted from the most recent data available and
is detailed in the table attached.</p><p> </p><p>Prisoners are released when they
have a statutory entitlement to be released once they have reached their automatic
release date, or are released on a discretionary basis by the Parole Board, the Secretary
of State or through early release on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) by prison governors.</p><p>
</p><p>If the automatic release date – which for the majority of prisoners is the
half-way point in their sentence – falls on a weekend or Bank holiday, the law (Section
23(3) Criminal Justice Act 1961) requires the release to be brought forward to the
first preceding working day. To defer the release date would mean holding the person
unlawfully.</p><p> </p><p>The exception is where the sentence is 5 days or less. In
such cases the law provides for release to be on the Saturday if the automatic release
date falls on a weekend or Bank Holiday.</p><p> </p><p>We have no evidence of any
statistically significant difference in reoffending outcomes for prisoners released
on a Friday.</p>
|
|
