The UK government has extended a scheme aimed at reducing prison overcrowding in England and Wales, resulting in the early release of some prisoners up to 70 days before their sentence ends. The scheme, which initially allowed for release up to 18 days early, was later widened to allow up to 60 days. Anyone convicted of a serious violent, terrorist or sexual offence is exempt. The extended scheme came to light after it was revealed by the Times newspaper, leading to an urgent question being tabled by the opposition Labour Party in Parliament.
At the start of May, the number of prisoners in England and Wales reached 87,505, close to the total usable capacity of 88,895. The increased numbers have been attributed to tougher court sentences and a backlog in the courts. Capacity has increased by around 3,000 places and where possible, temporary accommodation has been utilised. However, with no formal announcement about the extension of the scheme, critics accused the government of a “cloak of secrecy” and hiding the release of violent offenders.
Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, has said that there is still a shortage of places, despite efforts to increase capacity including the construction of two new prisons and temporary accommodation. He explained that “the number of places simply can’t keep pace with the number of people coming in.” A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said that the government was carrying out a significant expansion of the prison system and preparation was underway for the removal of foreign national offenders.
Those released early will continue to be supervised under conditions such as tagging and curfew. The scheme has been defended by the government as only affecting the lowest risk offenders while the aim is to reduce overcrowding and improve conditions in prisons. However, with the extension of the scheme to 70 days, it is now attracting heavy criticism in certain quarters
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