The British Government has begun releasing about 700 prisoners early as overcrowding continues to put severe pressure on prisons across England and Wales, with the move sparking fresh concerns over public safety, rehabilitation and support for offenders returning to society.
The first group of prisoners was released on Thursday under a new progression model introduced to create additional space in the prison system. Eligible prisoners serving standard determinate sentences can now be released after serving at least one third of their sentence, while offenders convicted of more serious offences may have to serve at least half their sentence in custody.
The Ministry of Justice said the programme was necessary because of the continuing prison capacity crisis. Official figures show that England and Wales had 85,858 prisoners at the end of June, while the prison inspectorate has warned that overcrowding remains a serious problem across the estate.
The early release programme has been scaled back following a government review. About 5,000 prisoners are now expected to benefit over the coming months, rather than the roughly 6,000 originally anticipated. Prisoners convicted of offences including manslaughter, rape and certain child sexual offences are excluded from the new arrangements. Life prisoners and other inmates serving indeterminate sentences are also outside the scheme.
At Wandsworth Prison in London, prisoners released under the scheme described life inside as extremely difficult. One former inmate, Michael Bogle, said prisoners could spend up to 23 hours a day locked in their cells and described the Victorian era jail as a place he would not want to return to.
Another former prisoner said the jail was so crowded that even the rats appeared to be struggling with the conditions.
The scheme has nevertheless raised anxiety among victims and probation staff. Probation officers have warned that already heavy workloads could become even more difficult as hundreds of prisoners enter the community.
The Government insists that those released will remain under strict licence conditions, including electronic monitoring in appropriate cases. New restrictions can also limit where certain offenders can go, with breaches potentially resulting in a return to prison.
The Ministry of Justice says it is investing £700 million in probation and community services and recruiting additional probation officers.
