LONDON, England: Thousands of prisoners in British jails were scheduled for early release on Tuesday as the government attempts to manage overcrowding. Recent figures indicate that the prison population in England and Wales has reached an all-time high, prompting the need for urgent measures. However, the government has assured the public that no violent offenders or domestic abusers will be eligible for early release.
Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds acknowledged the difficulty of the decision to release 1,700 prisoners, stating that it was necessary to prevent “unchecked criminality,” where newly convicted individuals avoid jail due to a lack of available spaces. Reynolds criticized the previous Conservative government, which lost power in July, for not addressing the issue earlier.
Chief Inspector of Probation Martin Jones described the situation as “extreme,” noting that prisons are nearly at full capacity with only a few hundred spaces left. Jones expressed concern that some released prisoners would inevitably reoffend, highlighting that about a third of released individuals commit further offenses within a year.
The recent influx in the prison population is partly attributed to convictions related to anti-immigration riots across England. Despite concerns, the government has confirmed that individuals involved in these riots would not be excluded from early release plans.
