In a bid to address severe overcrowding in prisons, the UK government has announced plans to release approximately 1,700 prisoners early in England and Wales. This initiative adds to the routine weekly release of around 1,000 inmates.
Official figures from last week reveal that the prison population in England and Wales has surged past 88,500, setting a new record and leaving only about 1,000 available spaces. The early release scheme aims to alleviate the pressure on prison facilities, which have faced additional strain following recent riots sparked by the Southport stabbing incident in July.
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Under the new policy, prisoners serving sentences of less than five years will be eligible for early release on license after serving 40 percent of their sentence, down from the previous requirement of 50 percent. However, this policy excludes those convicted of certain sexual, violent, domestic abuse, terrorism, and national security offenses.
The move has raised concerns among victims and advocacy groups. Baroness Newlove, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, expressed distress over the policy, noting that it may undermine public confidence in the justice system. She pointed out that some victims have been left unaware of their offender’s early release, which could further traumatize them.
Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs echoed these concerns, highlighting fears that victims may not receive timely notifications about their abuser’s release. Jacobs criticized the policy, arguing that it fails to deliver justice for victims of domestic abuse.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood defended the policy, describing it as the “only option left on the table” to prevent a collapse of the prison system and, by extension, law and order in the country. She attributed the crisis to the previous government’s reluctance to address difficult issues.
To manage the immediate shortage of prison spaces, the government plans to release about 5,500 offenders in two phases over two months, with the second batch scheduled for release on October 22. Additionally, the government has announced plans to expedite the construction of new prisons.
Despite these efforts, the Institute for Government projects a potential shortfall of 8,000 prison places by 2028, indicating that long-term solutions are necessary to address the growing prison population.
