New Justice Secretary vows to stop prisoners from ‘gaming the system’
David Gauke wants to tighten rules, making it harder for people behind bars to pocket compensation money and easier for them to be punished for publicly boasting about their easy ride
PRISONERS who boast about their cushy life behind bars face a tough new crackdown.
Rules will also be tightened to make it harder from lags to pocket compensation for lost property or mishaps.
Justice Secretary David Gauke vowed to stop criminals “gaming the system” as a top priority in the job.
Writing for The Sun on Sunday, he said he shared the public’s disgust at criminals who boast of an easy life or run rackets from their cells.
He pledged to improve the parole system after victims of taxi rapist John Worboys were kept in the dark about his pending release from jail.
And he will not tolerate lags who boast about conning the system.
Lags have pocketed £27 million of taxpayers’ cash in compo over three years for everything from lost toothbrushes to damaged CDs.
Mr Gauke, promoted in last week’s Cabinet reshuffle, said: “In the case of Levi Bellfield, his victims have had to watch him boast of his cushy time in jail and of conning the system to get compensation for a prison attack.”
He added: “Those who commit crime must face the consequence of their actions and those who game the system by committing more crime behind bars or by boasting about their time in prison should face the full force of the law.”