Prison break this Christmas

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Some of the inmates at La Moye prison will be getting almost a week’s holiday at home this Christmas.

Up to nine prisoners will get six days on the outside to spend with friends and family – four days more than they would have got in the past. The Christmas Leave scheme has been running for a decade, and so far, there haven't been any issues with prisoners not making it back on time.

The scheme isn't open to all prisoners - applications are judged by a Temporary Release Panel, who decide who will be let out to see their families.

Even then, only some prisoners are eligible to apply. To get the extended Christmas leave, prisoners have to be assessed as "low or no risk to public safety", have a good record of behaviour behind bars and be on the local progression scheme. The Probation Service also get involved - they inspect the address that the prisoner will be staying at to make sure that it's suitable for them.

As always, if prisoners misbehave during the six-day leave, they are liable to be recalled to the prison early.

The Home Affairs Minister Ian Le Marquand approved the extension to give inmates who are assessed as low or no risk to public safety and who already qualify for Home Leave more time to spend with their loved ones who are off work and school at this time of year.

Prison governor Bill Millar said they’ve been offering prison breaks at Christmas for more than a decade and in all of that time no-one has failed to get back behind bars on time.

All prisoners on Home Leave have to stay in the Island.