Who said crime doesn't pay?

A couple of days ago I said the two worst departments to get your hands on as a Secretary of State have to be the Department of Health and the new Ministry of Justice. Well, in the first full day, what a surprise but it is the DoH and MofJ that are in the Picking Losers' firing line. And boy this one is cracker. You could not make this one up. Jack Straw, welcome to the fiasco that is known as the rather Orwellian sounding Ministry of Justice.

Remember a couple or so weeks back the news that took no-one by surprise but the government that our prisons were full and as a result 25,000 inmates would be released early? Well today is the day that the first batch of these criminals gets released - 2,000 of the blighters. The problem is, they are being released 18 days early and the poor souls weren't expecting it so where on earth are they going to stay? Never fear, the government will be putting £200 in your pocket as you walk out of clink so that you are compensated for loss of bed and board! Loss of bed and board!?  How inconvenient for you all!  (Believe me; I am not making this up!). The compensation for the poor treatment these law breakers have received by releasing them on to the free streets early is at the cost of £4.5m a year to the taxpayers! Early release and bonus pay out. And who said crime doesn't pay?