Why do some criminals abscond from open prison? A former Sudbury inmate gives his views

A former inmate at HMP Sudbury in Derbyshire has told ITV Central why he believes some inmates make the decision to escape.

John "Ben" Gunn spent the last three years of 32 year sentence at the open prison.

He said absconding was never something he considered, but there are many reasons why some prisoners walk out.

The aim of an open prison is to rehabilitate inmates for the world outside. They're sent to open prison, as they're considered a low risk to the public and trusted not to escape.

National figures suggest every 43 hours a prisoner absconds in England and Wales.

The government says there are far fewer than there used to be - down 80 per cent over the last 10 years.

Ben said open prisons are not the free-for-all that many people believe them to be.

As someone who spent three years in the open prison system, Ben believes there are positives to take from it.