MP raises concerns with Justice Secretary over prisoners going on the run from Thorn Cross Prison

CONCERNS over prisoners going on the run from Thorn Cross Prison have been raised with Justice Secretary Dominic Raab by local MP Andy Carter who has welcomed a “Root and Branch Review” of the parole system.

The Warrington South MP highlighted the latest incident involving prisoner Shane Farrington, who was given an indeterminate sentence for manslaughter in 2008 and subsequently escaping from a closed prison in 2018 prior to going on the run from Thorn Cross last month.

The review, which includes changes to the way prisoners are allocated to open prisons, has concluded that direct ministerial oversight will be brought in on the transfer of life and other indeterminate sentenced prisoners to open prison conditions. The Government believes this will provide an additional safeguard in cases where the prisoner is serving a sentence for murder, other homicide, rape or serious sexual offence against a child/child cruelty.

A new threshold will also be applied to ensure that not only must prisoners be assessed to be at low risk of absconding, but that a specified and clear purpose for a transfer to an open prison must be presented, including an explanation of why that purpose cannot be met in a closed facility. The reforms will also consider the extent to which public confidence in the system of open prisons could be undermined by the transfer of a prisoner from closed to open conditions.

Mr Carter said: “In my meeting with the Justice Secretary I expressed my concern that in the last three months we’ve seen five prisoners abscond from HMP Thorn Cross. The worrying rate of prisoners absconding not only poses alarm to the public but also risks undermining confidence in the system of open prisons altogether.

“I am pleased to see the Government taking action to address issues within the parole system. The announcement that the Justice Secretary has made this week will bring in better accountability to the prison system for the decision to transfer prisoners to open prisons. The introduction of these reforms is a positive step forward and I’ve made it clear in my conversation with Dominic Raab that the local community cannot continue to accept such absconds from Thorn Cross prison.”

In discussion with Mr Carter, the Justice Secretary said: “I know absconding is a particular issue for local communities in the vicinity of prisons, so we’re making sure there’s a ministerial check on the transfer of any dangerous offender from a closed estate to an open prison.

“The important thing is to make sure we have the levers and the authority to be able to meet the public’s expectations. We’ll be doing this in a very structured way. We want people to move to open prisons where it can help with rehabilitation. But for dangerous offenders it’s important we have an additional check, a ministerial safeguard to make sure we put public protection as the absolute priority.”