A FORMER prison has come under fire for letting out foreign criminals with little or no effort to reform them – because officials wrongly assumed they will be deported.

A highly critical report by prison and probation inspectors found jails across England and Wales helped inmates get a house, benefits or employment when they were released, but little was done to help them turn away from a life of crime.

The problem was worst in prisons holding foreign nationals, said the report, because it was presumed inmates would be deported during or after their sentence.

However, many could not be kicked out, meaning they were freed without a proper assessment of how dangerous they were.

Bullwood Hall, in Hockley, which was closed in January, had let out 78 prisoners six months before the inspection. It was heavily criticised for failures to “assess and manage the risk of harm to others”.

Justice minister Jeremy Wright said: “We had identified the management of offenders in custody needed to be improved and we have already begun that vital work.

We are also reforming the system to ensure help is available for those leaving prison.”

The report said: “Significant numbers of prisoners were being released into UK communities with little or no preparation.”