LONDON, England: The UK government has announced a second round of early releases for 1,000 prisoners as part of its efforts to combat severe overcrowding in jails. This follows a similar move last month, when 1,700 prisoners were freed early. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood assured the public that previous errors, which led to the wrongful release of 37 ineligible prisoners, have been addressed.
The early release scheme allows non-violent offenders who meet certain conditions to be released after serving 40% of their sentences, down from the typical 50%. The government is also reviewing sentencing options to introduce tougher non-custodial punishments, such as home detention curfews and technology-based “nudge” solutions to ensure compliance.
Former justice secretary David Gauke, chairing the review, noted that the prison population, currently at 89,000, is growing by 4,500 annually, with 90% of those incarcerated being reoffenders. He emphasized that current prison systems are ineffective in reducing reoffending.
Mahmood attributed the overcrowding crisis to the previous Conservative government, revealing that when the Labour government came to power in July, the prison system was close to collapse. The government aims to develop long-term solutions for a more sustainable justice system.
