Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has announced that some prisoners in England and Wales could be released up to two months early to alleviate overcrowding in jails. The policy, which applies to 'certain low-level offenders', extends a previous scheme that allowed early release of up to 18 days. The new measures will see releases between 35 and 60 days early for a limited period, though no timeframe has been given.
The prison population in England and Wales stood at 88,220 as of 8 March, just below the operational capacity of just over 89,000. Government projections suggest the population could reach 94,400 by March 2025 and up to 106,300 by March 2027. The Howard League for Penal Reform states the prison estate should hold no more than 79,597 people.
Mr Chalk said electronic monitoring would be used where necessary to enhance public protection. The changes were published on the UK Parliament website. The justice secretary also outlined other measures to ensure sufficient prison capacity for the most serious offenders.
Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood criticised the government, saying it had failed to build enough prisons and that the announcement had been 'snuck out'. She accused the Conservatives of releasing prisoners in secret and putting the public at risk. Labour has pledged to build new prisons to ease the capacity crisis.
