More Than 700 Prisoners Walk Free as UK’s Early Release Scheme Begins

More than 700 prisoners are being released early from jails in England and Wales on Thursday as the government’s contentious ‘Earned Progression’ scheme takes effect, the first of around 4,500 due to walk free over the next ten months.

Under the plan, signed into law by Parliament, eligible offenders are leaving prison after serving a third of their sentences rather than the usual half. The first wave covers those jailed for up to 19 months, with about 2,550 due out by the end of the year, as the prison population stands at 87,499 and the estate runs at 97 per cent capacity, according to Ministry of Justice figures.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris told The Times the government had ‘no choice’, warning that without the releases trials could collapse and offenders could be bailed back into the communities they were arrested in. He has apologised to victims for a summer of uncertainty, but could not guarantee public safety.

The Ministry of Justice says those freed will face ‘the toughest supervision in British history’, including expanded tagging and GPS-enforced restriction zones — though a probation report found almost half of electronic tags are not fitted on time. Rapists, serious child sex offenders and those convicted of manslaughter are excluded; Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman said the government’s confidence ‘is not yet matched by the reality on the ground’.

Sources:

• https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/uk-prisoners-released-early-latest-news-nx9wkpb80
• https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/alex-norris-no-choice-early-release-c9fxf5qql
• https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/uk/news/tories-early-release-scheme-an-insult-to-victims-as-prisoners-set-to-be-freed