Hundreds more prisoners to be freed in second phase of early release scheme
The UK government is releasing approximately 650 more offenders from prisons in England and Wales as part of an early release scheme to address overcrowding. The policy is facing criticism from the probation union, which is threatening strike action due to increased workloads.
Why it matters
The prison population crisis is forcing significant changes to the criminal justice system, creating tension between the government and public sector workers.
Image source, Carl Court/Getty Images Image caption, An inmate walks free from HMP Brixton earlier this month, in the first wave of the government's early release scheme
Home and Legal Correspondent Published 2 minutes ago About 650 more offenders will leave jails in England and Wales early on Tuesday in the second phase of the government's plan to tackle the prison population crisis.
The group will include offenders serving up to two and a half years for crimes.
Under the new rules, they are leaving jail after serving a third of their sentence behind bars, rather than half.
The second wave of releases comes as the government takes its plan to radically overhaul criminal courts back to Parliament - but also as probation officers prepare to vote in a ballot that could lead to a strike over pay and workload.
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