Unsafe criminals released

Nearly 1,000 criminals freed early to ease the prison overcrowding crisis had previously been rated too unsafe to be let out with an electronic tag, it has emerged.

They were ordered to remain behind bars because governors rated them a high risk of re-offending.

Despite these fears, they have been freed under Labour's controversial early release scheme announced as an emergency measure last month after the prison population hit a record 81,000.

Yesterday's revelation is yet another blow for the early release policy which the Conservatives described as 'potentially highly dangerous'.

The party's justice spokesman Edward Garnier said: 'If they were not safe to be let out on tags, why are they safe to be let out with taxpayers' cash in their pockets but no tags on their ankles?

The government is totally incompetent. They were put in prison for a reason and now even the ones that are unsafe to be let out with an electronic tag are being let out. Someone needs to get control of this mess and fast. Labour will never be able to do it. They have shown that they can’t succeed at anything.