Mahmood: I had 'no choice' but to release some prisoners earlypublished at 15:34 British Summer Time 12 July
Sima Kotecha
Senior UK correspondent
![Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood making a speech](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/640/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2024/7/12/7f813479-4dac-4ee8-954b-1d067e186a15.jpg.webp)
Shabana Mahmood’s been having detailed conversations with prison staff as she’s toured two jails today - HMP Bedford and HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough.
She’s been discussing what rehabilitation is taking place behind bars - asking staff about various courses and projects inmates are undertaking.
After finishing both tours, she told a pack of journalists several times that she had inherited a mess from the Tory government, and that she had no choice but to release some people early or the criminal justice system would come to a halt.
She explained that police needed somewhere to put suspects and that the courts needed cells for convicts and people placed on remand.
It’s clear her message was “this isn’t my fault”.
But how her plans pan out could put down an early marker on her handling of crime and punishment.