Hundreds more prisoners to be freed in second phase of early release scheme
Summary
The UK government is releasing about 650 more prisoners early to reduce overcrowding in jails. They will be freed after serving one-third of their sentence instead of half, while the government also proposes major changes to the criminal court system to speed up trials.Key Facts
- Around 650 offenders will be released early on Tuesday in England and Wales as part of a government plan.
- Prisoners serving sentences up to two and a half years will leave after serving one-third of their term.
- Early release began on October 1 with about 700 offenders serving less than 19 months freed.
- Released prisoners are usually electronically tagged and monitored by probation officers.
- Probation officers are considering strike action over pay and workload; the government offered a 5% pay raise.
- The government is also reforming criminal courts to reduce trial backlogs and speed up cases.
- Jury trials will still be removed for complex fraud cases, and many cases will remain in lower courts without jury trials.
- The government accepted most recommendations from a court review to modernize the system, including increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers from 12 months to two years.
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