Justice chiefs have admitted that 46,459 crimes were committed by freed prisoners in the three months from October to December 2024, a record high that has sparked criticism of Labour's early release scheme.
The figure coincides with the start of Labour's controversial early release programme, which has seen almost 80,000 offenders released after serving just 40% of their sentence. The Ministry of Justice is replacing this with the so-called progression model, which will release up to 50,000 criminals early each year, many after serving only a third of their sentence.
Shadow Justice Secretary's Warning
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said: "We warned Labour that their early release scheme would lead to widespread reoffending and increased risk to the public.
"And that is exactly what has happened.
"The Justice Secretary must take responsibility for every additional crime that victims have had to suffer because of Labour's decision to let dangerous offenders walk free.
"Only the Conservatives have a costed plan to build 50,000 new prison places and keep criminals behind bars where they belong."
Record Reoffending Rates
The total of 46,459 "reoffences" is up from the previous record of 44,862 in April to June 2024, when the prison service was on the brink of collapse. Jails had been "99 per cent full" for the preceding 18 months.
The new reoffending high equates to 7.55 offences per every convict let out, sparking fears that career criminals are running riot.
Government Response and Recalls
Labour insists it has taken "decisive action" to prevent the "total collapse of our prison system" and protect the public in the face of criticism over freeing prisoners early.
However, some 52,716 prisoners were put back behind bars in the year to June after breaching the terms of their licence, according to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures. This is up 27% from 41,518 in the previous year and is the highest 12-month total since current data began in 2015.
Recalls started to fall in early 2026, which likely reflects a change in the law that limits the number of times some criminals can be recalled within a three-month period.
The MoJ figures published on Thursday also show 79,274 inmates were freed early from prison between September 2024 and June 2026 under emergency measures brought in by the Government to tackle the overcrowding crisis. The move, known as the SDS40 early release scheme, saw the proportion of sentences that some prisoners must serve in England and Wales cut from 50% to 40%.
It is one of several policy changes that are "likely" to have contributed to the rise in recalls, the MoJ said. The emergency measures were replaced with a permanent scheme for early releases from October 1 under the Sentencing Act 2026. Data on the number of prisoners released as part of the latest policy is not due to be published until spring next year.
