Labour reveals 5,500 prisoners will be freed early amid overcrowding in jails
Figures analysed by The Independent show the prison population is expected to increase from 87,900 in England and Wales to 114,200 by 2027
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Thousands of prisoners will be released early in a bid to “avert disaster” amid overcrowding, said the Justice Secretary on Thursday.
Shabana Mahmood claimed she had no option but to set free around 5,500 prisoners this September and October, in a statement read out to the Commons.
Under the early release scheme, thousands of criminals will serve 40 per cent of their sentence, instead of being freed at the halfway point of their prison term.
Prisoners serving sentences under four years will be applicable, and those in jail for sex, terrorism and domestic offences will be excluded.
It follows the introduction of new legislation for the scheme by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on Wednesday.
Ms Mahmood said: “It is now clear that by September of this year our prisons will overflow. That means there is only one way to avert disaster.
“As the House knows, most of those serving standard determinate sentences leave prison at the halfway point, serving the rest of their sentence in the community. The Government now has no option but to introduce a temporary change in the law.
“Our impact assessment estimates that around 5,500 offenders will be released in September and October.”
Ms Mahmood said the “emergency measure” was a result of the mismanagement of the prison service by the previous Tory government.
Latest figures analysed by The Independent show there were around 87,900 prisoners in England Wales in March, 2024. A briefing paper to the government issued earlier this month projected that figure will rise to 114,200 by 2027.
Charity The Howard League says the prison estate should not hold more than 79,695 prisoners.
Ms Mahmood said: “Their [Conservative government] legacy is a prison system in crisis, moments from catastrophic disaster. It was only by pure luck and the heroic efforts of prison and probation staff that disaster did not strike while they were in office.”
Ms Mahmood said a review into the prison capacity crisis will also be launched to look at “why the necessary decisions were not taken at critical moments” by the Tories.
Additionally, as part of the plans to reduce pressure on prisons, at least 1,000 new trainee probation officers will be recruited by the end of March 2025.
The Prisoner Governors’ Association said the previous government “dodged difficult decisions, kicking the can down the road at every opportunity and pushing the chronic, unresolved problems on to the newly elected administration”.
Shadow justice secretary Edward Argar branded the government’s plans to reform the planning process with the aim of building more prisons as a “gimmick”.
The Tory former prisons minister said: “We set in train the biggest prison building programme since the Victorian era, over 13,000 additional prison places delivered in government, two new prisons open, one being built, two with planning permission, and one on the cusp of a decision.
“So I do have to say, her party’s planning permission proposal for prisons wouldn’t impact on any of these, in that respect it is simply a gimmick.”
He added he has “significant public protection concerns” over the announcement, adding: “Can she confirm that domestic abusers convicted of say common assault, as is often the case, would in fact not be exempt from this policy?”
Concerns have also been raised by the families of victims.
Last week, the aunt of Zara Aleena, who was murdered by a man who had been out of prison on licence for nine days, warned of the potential consequences if the probation service was unable to cope.
The measures will be reviewed in 18 months’ time.
Additonal reporting by PA
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