FOREIGN criminals in jail here will be booted out faster by a new immigration squad.
A £5million blitz will see specialist officers deployed.
Prisons minister Lord James Timpson[/caption]
They will speed up deportations and ease the strain on packed prisons.
The new unit covering 80 jails in England and Wales should be up and running by next month.
It will help the Home Office turf out cons up to 18 months before sentences end, with some sent to serve time back home.
Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said: “It cannot be right for British taxpayers to foot the bill for jailing foreign criminals who have brought misery to our communities.
“Under this Government, removals are up by nearly a quarter.
“We’re now taking action to ensure this is done swifter, easing pressure on overcrowded prisons and on the public purse.
“This is part of our Plan for Change — fixing the broken prison system we inherited and keeping our streets safe.”
Foreign national offenders make up 12 per cent of the prison population.
The latest official figures show prisons in England and Wales are bursting at 87,199 inmates, just shy of the record high that forced ministers to release 1,000 prisoners early last October.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood visited Texas last week, where inmates have to earn their freedom by working, training, or taking part in education rather than being let out after a set period.
The proposal suggests a “carrot and stick” approach, where earned credits could lead to earlier parole hearings, while refusal to work could extend sentences.
The move could overhaul England and Wales’ current system, where up to 70 per cent of prisoners walk free automatically.
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