The prison population in England and Wales has fallen by a record 2,188 in a single week, a drop of about 2.5%, according to Ministry of Justice figures published on Friday. This is the largest weekly decrease since records began in 2012, nearly double the previous record of 1,135 set in April 2020 during the pandemic.
The decline follows the introduction of the government's early release scheme, which allows prisoners serving sentences for less serious crimes to be released after serving 40% of their sentence instead of 50%. Those convicted of serious violent offences with sentences of four years or more, and sex offenders, are excluded. However, individuals who have completed a sentence for a serious crime and are now serving a consecutive sentence for a less serious offence are eligible.
The scheme was delayed to allow the probation service to prepare, resulting in 1,700 prisoners being released on a single day. This prompted scenes of celebration among those released and criticism from victims' support groups. The female prison population fell by 5.9%, compared to a 2.3% drop for men.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer blamed the previous government for the crisis, stating: "We have to release people early because otherwise we’ll have an absolute crisis in our prisons." However, the probation officers' union Napo described the scheme as "a ticking timebomb that could put public safety at risk."
Prisons were already near capacity when Labour took office, and the summer riots further strained the system. As of early this month, police had arrested 1,380 people and charged 863 in connection with the disorder. This week marks the first since early August that the prison population has not risen.
