“The prisons are full, so get out” ... UK in uproar over early release of 650 prisoners

650 Prisoners in England and Wales to Be Released Early
Released After Serving One-Third of Their Sentences... Victim Groups Voice Concerns

There are growing concerns as around 650 prisoners are being released early to tackle overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales.

Photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Pexels

On November 10, the BBC reported that around 650 offenders held in prisons in England and Wales would begin to be released in stages that day.

According to the report, the measure is the third phase of the government's plan to address prison overcrowding. Those eligible will be released after serving no more than one-third of their full sentences.

Under the first and second phases, implemented on October 1, around 1,350 prisoners were released early. The government announced that it would release at least 2,500 prisoners by the end of this year, allowing them to live in the community under probation supervision and wear electronic tags for the remainder of their sentences.

Those convicted of manslaughter, rape or sexual offenses, as well as those sentenced to life imprisonment, are not eligible for early release. However, prisoners convicted of offenses including affray in a public place, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, burglary and fraud are eligible. Some violent offenders imprisoned for intentionally causing grievous bodily harm or for minor firearms offenses may also be released.

Victim advocacy groups and survivors of crime have voiced concerns. Refuge, a group supporting survivors of domestic violence, told the BBC last month that domestic abusers were also among those eligible for early release.

Napo, the probation officers' trade union, said its members responsible for supervising people released from prison were facing an extreme workload as a result of the measure. In response, the government said it would offer a 5% pay rise and invest 700 million pounds (approximately KRW 1.2 trillion) to recruit an additional 1,300 probation officers.

As of November 9, around 86,000 people were held in prisons in England and Wales, accounting for 97.6% of total capacity. The Institute for Government (IfG) cited longer prison sentences as one of the causes of overcrowding. In fact, the average sentence handed down by criminal courts in England and Wales in 2023 was more than 25% longer than in 2012.

UK Justice Minister Alex Norris said that prison capacity was currently in a "crisis situation," explaining that "early release was an unavoidable choice."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.