How the new prison release scheme will work - and number of inmates to be freed
Summary
The UK government is starting a new plan to release some prisoners early because jails are almost full. About 700 prisoners will be released on October 1, and around 4,500 will be freed by next summer, while serious offenders and some others are excluded from this early release.Key Facts
- As of late September 2024, there are about 87,499 prisoners in England and Wales, with only around 1,500 available beds left.
- The early release plan is to help reduce overcrowding and was created after the Labour government took office in July 2024.
- Eligible prisoners who were expected to serve half their sentences in prison will now be released after serving one-third.
- The first early releases on October 1 apply to prisoners jailed for up to 19 months; longer sentences will be included in stages until June 2025.
- Around 18,000 prisoners, including those convicted of murder, manslaughter, sexual offenses, and death-by-driving offenses, are excluded and will serve their normal sentences.
- Released prisoners will be on a community licence, meaning they must follow certain rules and can be sent back to prison if they break them.
- More prisoners will be wearing electronic tags and will be closely monitored by probation officers.
- There are concerns about whether probation staff can manage the increased workload of supervising more early releases.
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