DORSET Police Federation chairman Clive Chamberlain has accused the Criminal Justice System of failing victims of crime' and demoralising police officers'.
Mr Chamberlain was speaking in response to Prisoner Officer Association concerns that some criminals may be going free from jail because of insufficient prison places to house them.
He said: "The Police Federation has long warned that more prisons are needed.
"If prison overcrowding is resulting in low sentences being cut even further then the Criminal Justice System is failing victims of crime and further demoralising frontline police officers who see those they have arrested flying out through the revolving door of justice."
Mr Chamberlain said the general public need to be safe and criminals should serve their full sentences.
He added: "Police officers will continue to arrest and charge those they consider a danger to society.
"(They) will not, as has been suggested, limit the execution of warrants and arrests to suit a political agenda that wishes to do anything to bring prison numbers down."
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