10:24am Thursday 29th January 2009
By Charlotte Gray
A secret bail hostel posing as a normal home for suspects and offenders could be at the end of your street, it has been revealed.
Convicts on early release and supects awaiting trial are being hidden in a hostel in Wood Green, by a private company paid for by the Ministry for Justice.
The information was revealed this week in a Parliamentary question to Justice Minister David Hanson, who said he cannot reveal exact addresses of the hostels.
The only details provided were that the house was in the N22 postcode region and in the Wood Green consituency. It is believed to have been in place for at least six months.
Families living just a few doors down from the hostel would have no idea it exists or that its tenants are free to walk around the area. Only immediate neighbours are consulted about hostels so they can report any concerns about behaviour.
Private company ClearSprings was paid £8.3 million to provide its bail and accommodation support service over a 17-month period between June 2007 and November the following year.
However Mr Hanson insists all prisoners are risk assessed before they are released and no sex offenders or arsonists are considered for the scheme. He added: "In addition, ClearSprings will not accept those whom they deem to pose an unacceptable risk to the public, to other service users or to ClearSprings’ staff.
“The courts decide whether a defendant can be bailed. The court makes its decision in knowledge of any previous convictions and submissions by the prosecution and the defence.
"All those applying for home detention curfew are risk assessed before release and probation assess the suitability of the proposed address for the individual offender."
Between the start of the programme in June 2007, 2,389 offenders on home detention curfew and defendants on bail have used the hostels.
A council spokesman said: “There is a small ClearSprings facility in the borough. The council was notified. There was no planning or other issue and the council does not have any objections.”
MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone, said she has not had any complaints yet: "I understand it's difficult, they have to go somewhere and no-one wants them.
"But if it has been there for six months and no-one has spotted it that's good news. I haven't had any complaints.
"I am surprised they would do it without any consultation with residents - local residents have a right to be aware."
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk