CurrentReport Blog The United Kingdom government on Tuesday revealed its plan to release a second batch of 1,000 prisoners as part of a controversial strategy to address overcrowding in jails. This follows the release of 1,700 prisoners last month under the same early release scheme.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed that the issues which led to 37 ineligible prisoners being mistakenly freed in the previous batch had been resolved. Mahmood assured the public that the new phase of the program would be more stringent, with stricter checks in place.
The ongoing review aims to introduce tougher non-custodial punishments for some offenders, freeing up prison space to house more dangerous criminals. The government’s approach has been to release non-violent offenders who have met specific criteria, allowing them to leave after serving 40% of their sentence, rather than the usual 50%.
