The UK government has announced that it is releasing a further 1,100 prisoners early as part of its ongoing efforts to ease overcrowding in jails throughout England and Wales. Prisoners serving sentences for murder, sex crimes, or terrorism will not be eligible for early release and will continue serving their full sentences. However, those serving more than five years in prison will now qualify for early release, with most of those being released expected to come from open prisons. The initiative began in September and is expected to create around 5,500 extra prison places.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the government launched a major review of prison sentencing led by former Conservative Justice Secretary, David Gauke. The review will consider a range of measures aimed at increasing prison capacity in the long term. Some of the measures being considered include scrapping short prison terms and improving rehabilitation for long-term prisoners. They are also exploring the possibility of a modern form of house arrest monitored by technological advances in tagging.
The review is also considering the use of smartwatch-like devices, used in parts of the United States, which send nudge messages to offenders to encourage them to comply with their rehabilitation program. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the review as an opportunity to “reshape and redesign what punishment outside of prison looks like” while warning that “there is always a cell waiting for dangerous offenders.” The review is expected to submit its findings to the government by spring 2025.
There have been some serious mistakes since the scheme’s launch. Thirty-seven inmates whose sentences had not been properly logged were released in error. The ministry of justice confirms all 37 have returned to custody. The BBC learned that some offenders released who should have been fitted with electronic tags to monitor their movements had not been. Critics have previously voiced concerns about the scheme’s impact on public safety. A probation union warned that it amounted to “moving the problem from one place to another without properly assessing the risks”.
In October, ministers announced magistrates in England and Wales would be given extra powers to help ease record delays to criminal trials, enabling them to hand down 12-month sentences for a single offence. However, the Criminal Bar Association was concerned it would “sharply increase” the prison population, as some defendants would opt for a trial rather than receiving a 12-month jail sentence, which would add their case to the existing backlog in the crown courts
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