Jersey minister plans to send foreign prisoners home

Jersey could soon be sending foreign prisoners back to their home countries to serve their sentences, says the home affairs minister.

Senator Ian Le Marquand hopes the Repatriation of Prisoners law will be in place from January.

The States of Jersey voted in favour of the law change, but still needs to vote on when it will come into force.

The island then has to become part of an international convention before transferring prisoners.

Once it does, the authorities will have the option of sending foreign criminals to their home country for their jail terms.

Senator Le Marquand says it should help to reduce the population of La Moye Prison.

In November nearly 100 prisoners were classed as "not local to Jersey", with most of them coming from the UK.

The law also means islanders jailed elsewhere can be returned to Jersey to serve their sentences.