Scandal of prisoners from Ford going free

Mr Herbert, the MP for Arundel and South Downs, was featured on the BBC's Panorama programme to speak about the increasing pressure on open prisons to accept high-risk offenders to ease overcrowding in local jails.

One of the cases featured in the documentary was that of Richard MacDonald, who walked out of Ford in 2006. He was just three years into an eight-year sentence for armed robbery.

He carried out a further armed robbery in south-east London while he was on the run.

Police officers were amazed to see him in CCTV footage of the robbery because they thought he was still in jail.

Panorama stated MacDonald was transferred to Ford despite a record of two previous escapes from separate jails.

Mr Herbert, who is also the shadow secretary of state for justice, said: "I think the public would find it extraordinary that a violent criminal who had already escaped from an institution should be deemed suitable for transfer to an open prison.

"It is unacceptable these resettlement institutions are now coming under such pressure that we see the risk of absconds and, therefore, a risk to the public."

In March, 47 prisoners '“ or one every 36 hours '“ were released early from Ford prison. This took the total released under the government's end of custody licence scheme designed to ease prison overcrowding to 375 prisoners.

According to figures from the Ministry of Justice, 55 prisoners absconded from Ford between January, 2007 and March, 2008.

The offences for which they were commited included murder (one), manslaughter (one), drugs (seven), burglary (13) and wounding (two).

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