CNA Staff, Nov 18, 2020 / 11:10 am
As Covid-19 cases have been on the rise among the incarcerated, Bishop Richard Moth of Arundel and Brighton has called on the British government to reinstate an early release program to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Bishop Moth, the English and Welsh bishops' representative on prisons, sent a letter last week to British Justice Secretary Robert Buckland. The statement was a follow-up to a letter earlier this year, which highlighted the release of vulnerable people in prison, such as pregnant women and new mothers.
"As we face a second wave, I hope that you will consider measures to counter the growing number of Covid-19 outbreaks among prisoners and staff by extending the Early Conditional Temporary Release Scheme," he wrote.
"Through releasing some prisoners who pose a low risk of harm and who are nearing the end of their sentences, it may be possible to ease pressure on the prison estate. This can also help to protect vital family support networks, which have come under increasing strain throughout the pandemic."