http://pr.cannazine.co.uk : Justice Secretary Jack Straw has announced a radical method for reducing the numbers of people who are currently languishing in prison. He's going to let them go home.
In a bid to ease Scotlands overcrowded prison system, around 550 non-violent and non-sexual offenders will be automatically freed halfway through their current sentence. Under current regulations a prisoner must serve at least two-thirds of a sentence before release is even considered.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said "after the initial batch were freed over 14 months, there could be further releases."
Young & progressive: Nick Clegg and his Liberal-Democrats are a real alternative for the UK cannabis community - they understand the fact DE-criminalising cannabis at a personal level makes sense on a number of different levels, not least of which is the economics of the situation, which would see cost savings measured in the Billions of pounds, simply by allowing for a difference in life-style choice. Why is it then, only the Liberal-Democrats can see what is a policy "no-brainer".
Meanwhile jails south of the border in England and Wales, have received instructions from the Justice Ministry to carry out the same action and Prison Service HQ have warned a failure to do so would amount to "unlawful Detention".
Its apparent by the Justice Ministry's actions, that it realises the need to reduce the prison population, which is said to have reached an "all-time-high", thought to be around 83,000 people currently.
Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert described such schemes as "underhand" and criticised the Government for providing inadequate capacity, although the MoJ said the plans went through Parliament unopposed.
Underhand? Underhand is a strong accusation to make, and it does beg the question why that word particularly would be used in the context of this article?
Could it be that come the General Election the government wish to use the "reduced" prison population as a part of their ill-fated campaign for a return to power?
Only time will tell but remember where you heard it first.
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