Michael Bogle, 38, was jailed for eight months after being caught on CCTV shoplifting from two supermarkets in north-west London within 24 hours of his release from HMP Wandsworth last Thursday.
Bogle stole more than £100 of washing powder from Sainsbury's just one day after walking free. Over the following three days, he took another £98.85 of washing detergent from Tesco.
Arrest and sentencing
Store employees said he had "continued shoplifting throughout the weekend." The serial shoplifter was arrested on Monday and pleaded guilty to the thefts in court on Tuesday. He was sentenced to eight months in prison for the spree.
After his initial release on October 1, Bogle had said: "Keep the early release going, it's good." The man, who is also a registered sex offender, has been jailed five times for a total of 100 convictions, according to the Daily Mail.
Police reaction
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said he was surprised at how quickly the man offended again. "While it is not surprising that someone with this history went on to reoffend, the speed with which he did so, and the impact on frontline policing, is astonishing," he said.
"Just one day after his release, he was captured on CCTV stealing from two supermarkets in north-west London."
Det Ch Supt Luke Williams, borough commander for Barnet, Brent and Harrow, expressed concerns in an unprecedented letter to MPs and police chiefs. "The concerning nature of the early release scheme in this case was a known prolific offender being put back into the community, only to immediately reoffend," Williams said.
"Not only does this place communities at risk, it puts demand straight back into policing, who must arrest, investigate and put the individual into custody."
Wider impact
Williams said the issue is not localised, with similar cases occurring across London. "I, along with other officers from across the Met, am concerned this will only get worse as more people are released early," he added.
An estimated 4,500 offenders will be released over the next 10 months under the early release program, including domestic abusers and some categories of sex offenders. Ben Cockburn, chair of the National Association of Probation Officers, said the scheme poses an "existential risk" for the probation service in the UK.
