Early release inmate committed rape

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The rape is one of six sexual offences committed so far by inmates freed under a scheme which was brought in a year ago.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said in a written answer to MPs: "Four offenders have allegedly committed six sexual offences while they were subject to the end of custody licence, of which one was rape. Five were other sexual offences." No further details were revealed about the incident.

Mr Straw also disclosed that criminals were handed an extra £2 million in taxpayers' money in the first nine months of the "end of custody licence", or ECL, scheme. The cash was shared between nearly 24,000 inmates freed up to 18 days early during the period.

Conservatives said the hand-outs "added insult to injury" because not only were offenders being freed early, they were being "paid for the privilege". The Tories calculated the sum amounted to £82 per prisoner, on top of the standard £47 discharge grant received by all offenders on leaving jail.

Mr Straw said: "Subsistence payments are made because prisoners on an ECL are released under temporary licence from prison... and... are statutorily ineligible to receive benefits payments."

Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said: "The human cost of this discredited scheme is clear in hundreds of unnecessary victims of crime. Now we learn the financial cost to the taxpayer is more than £2 million. The Government is adding insult to injury by not only releasing prisoners early but actually paying them for the privilege."

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "Any offending carried out by an offender during the ECL period is regrettable. However, just 1% of those released on ECL so far have been notified to us as allegedly committing offences during the ECL period."

The developments came after probation union Napo revealed that prisoners with a history of domestic violence were still being awarded early release - running the risk of further crimes. The union said not enough checks were being carried out on inmates.

Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of the union, said: "The scheme was introduced quickly and is clearly flawed. Men convicted of offences of domestic violence are being let out without any accommodation check and returning to their partners' addresses."