Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Act 2023

In December 2023 my Private Members Bill received Royal Assent and became an Act of law. Finally, the campaign to #EndFridayReleases is complete.

Here’s what I wrote when I first introduced the Bill to the Commons in March 2023:

As an MP we vote on laws almost every day we are in Parliament. But these are the pieces of legislation that the Government puts forwards - they write them, we amend them, and then they pass, or are voted down.

Backbench MPs do have the opportunity to bring their own Bills to the Commons, but they normally fall at the first hurdle. So last Friday was really quite a special moment for me as the Private Members Bill that I had brought to the Commons passed its Third Reading (essentially meaning that the Government and Opposition both agreed with it and have given it their full support).

My Bill - The Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Bill - is a simple law that could make a big difference.

Currently people released from prison on Fridays face a race against time to access their probation worker and support on issues such as housing, benefits and healthcare before the weekend. This leaves some temporarily homeless, and at a heightened risk of reoffending.

1 in every 3 offenders is released on a Friday despite them facing these challenges and the data shows that offenders released just before a weekend or bank holiday face a higher rate of re-offending.

My Bill gives prison governors the discretion to release vulnerable offenders up to 48 hours earlier so that they can access the statutory services they most need, and aims to cut reoffending.

I have seen through my work on the Home Affairs Committee, and to talking to charities in Furness, just what Friday releases can mean - nights on the streets, a return to offending, and criminal gangs all too willing to swoop in and help, but with a heavy cost.

This simple change in the law will cut reoffending, save the criminal justice system time and money, and improve outcomes for offenders who have served their time.

When I spoke about the Bill in the House of Commons on Friday, I raised the case of Gary, a serving prisoner, who called my office in Barrow after seeing me speaking about the Bill on TV. He is due to be released on a Friday ahead of the August bank holiday and is concerned about spending three days homeless, with no ability to help himself. It is no exaggeration to say that there are hundreds of Garys out there, and this Bill will give them all a bit more security, and a bit more of a chance to actually turn their lives around when they leave prison, rather than being set up to fail.

The Bill now goes off to the House of Lords for scrutiny. I have asked Lord Bird, the founder of the Big Issue, to take the reins for this bit. John is a wonderful man and has become a firm friend - he is a passionate advocate for ending homelessness and equality, and we have done quite a bit of work in parliament together over the years - in fact, he even spoke at my Climate Summit in Barrow 18 months ago, and visited The Well with me afterwards.

As the Commons have approved the Bill, this is something of a formality, but it needs to happen before King Charles is presented with the Bill to sign. That process marks Royal Assent, with the Bill becoming law. On behalf of all of the Garys out there, I wait eagerly for it to happen.

Read more: https://www.nacro.org.uk/best-chance/