On the street where you live....

Most of us became aware of the bail hostel situation yesterday, probably.

The Government is in the process of setting up 400 such hostels, and have already established 135. They are intended, we are told, for people awaiting trial and also for prisoners being released early.

The aim is to accommodate 1,300 in these bail hostels, with up to four people in each.

These will be established in residential areas, perhaps on the street where you live. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors warns that this will tend to depress the prices of properties nearby, - there are already complaints about rowdy behaviour. The Government concedes this, but stated that local residents will probably not be compensated for the price fall.

The Government claims that "ClearSprings", the company running the hostels, is supposed to inform local people when a hostel is set up, giving details on whom to contact to report problems.

Why has this been done?
For the usual reason with this Government, - to do things "on the cheap". There will be no resident supervision, - the size seems designed to avoid this and also any planning applications. (Why could the people not return to their houses and homes in this case?) Ultimately it is to reduce pressure on prisons.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said, "Those in ClearSprings accommodation are innocent until proven guilty. Defendants who pose a risk will continue to be held on remand."

I am not reassured by the failure to mention early release prisoners, a few of which recently have gone on to commit murder. Neither am I convinced by the ability of the Justice system to decide which ones pose a risk.