How the new prison release scheme will work - and number of inmates to be freed
The UK government is implementing a new early prison release scheme to address severe overcrowding in England and Wales. Thousands of inmates will be released earlier than their original sentences to manage the lack of available prison cells.
Why it matters
This policy change addresses a critical infrastructure crisis in the justice system, balancing public safety concerns with the physical capacity of the prison estate.
Image source, Andrew Aitchison/Getty By Dominic Casciani Home and Legal Correspondent Published 14 minutes ago About 700 eligible offenders will leave jails in England and Wales on 1 October while some 2,550 are due to be released by the end of the year, under the government's early prison release plan.
So why are so many people being let out of jail earlier than expected and how have they been chosen?
Quite simply, prisons are almost full - and not for the first time.
As of last Friday, there were 87,499 people in 120 jails across England and Wales - with around 1,500 available beds. At this rate, there would be no spare cells by Christmas.
The early release scheme was developed because of a crisis the Labour government inherited when it came to power in July 2024.
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