Overview

This bill amends the Criminal Justice Act 1961 to change the rules on when offenders are released from detention. The aim is to prevent releases falling on weekends or bank holidays, instead scheduling them for working days preceding such days.

Description

The bill modifies Section 23 of the Criminal Justice Act 1961, which governs prison release dates. It allows the Secretary of State to direct that a prisoner's release, if it would otherwise fall on a non-working day (weekend, bank holiday, Christmas, Good Friday), be moved to the last eligible working day before the non-working day, or even the working day before that. "Eligible working day" means a working day not immediately followed by a non-working day. The changes apply to prisoners and those detained in secure children's homes or secure 16 to 19 academies under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. The bill also makes similar amendments to the International Criminal Court Act 2001, ensuring consistency. The Act extends to England and Wales for Section 1, and to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for Sections 2 and 3.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to have a significant direct impact on government spending. The administrative costs associated with rescheduling release dates are likely to be minimal.

Groups Affected

• Prisoners in England and Wales: Their release dates may be shifted to working days preceding weekends or bank holidays.
• Young people detained in secure children's homes or secure 16 to 19 academies in England and Wales: Their release dates may also be adjusted.
• Prison staff: May experience minor adjustments to their workload due to altered release schedules.
• Families of offenders: May need to adjust their plans to accommodate potentially altered release dates.

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