Prison 'needs more funding'

Foreign prisoners are to be released from Ford Open Prison twice as early, as part of a government initiative to ease prison overcrowding.

The Ministry of Justice has pledged inmates freed under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) will be deported to their home country.

Justice minister David Hanson told the House of Commons: "I believe ERS can make an even greater contribution to removing criminals from our shores. I have therefore decided to extend it to enable prisoners to be removed 270 days early rather than 135."

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Conservative shadow justice minister Nick Herbert, the MP for Arundel and the South Downs, does not believe this new policy will be any more effective than previous attempts to reduce prison numbers.

"I don't think this government has ever delivered on its deportation promises," he said.