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Rishi Sunak\u2019s government released more than 10,000 prisoners up to 70 days early, figures reveal, as the new justice secretary prepares to announce further emergency measures to ease another overcrowding crisis in jails.<\/p>\n
Ministry of Justice figures show that 10,083 prisoners were allowed to walk free under the end of custody supervised licence (ECSL) scheme<\/a> between October 2023 and June 2024 in England and Wales.<\/p>\n Under the scheme, announced in October 2023, some prisoners could be freed 18 days before their conditional release date. That was increased to 35 days in March and then to 70 days in May.<\/p>\n Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary and lord chancellor, will afternoon announce on Friday that low-risk prisoners will automatically be released after serving 40% of their sentence for the first time.<\/p>\n It is expected to this year allow several thousand prisoners to leave early, starting in September. Sources said the numbers would be eased out gradually.<\/p>\n The measure is expected to be applied to prisoners serving sentences of under four years and will not apply to those convicted of violent, sexual or terrorism-related offences.<\/p>\n It follows warnings from senior police and prison sources that law and order could break down within days if prisons can no longer accept inmates.<\/p>\n A senior police source said criminals would take advantage by committing crimes they would not usually do such as looting, while former prisoners released on licence would be more likely to reoffend because they knew they would be less likely to be recalled.<\/p>\n The government\u2019s expected plans are \u201cthe least worst option\u201d, said the Metropolitan police commissioner, Mark Rowley.<\/p>\n \u201cPrisons are very, very close to full and filling up day in day out. The worst possible thing would be for the system to block, because the system blocks in prisons if they get completely full. That kicks back into the courts and into what we do. And that\u2019s really dangerous for the public,\u201d he told ITV\u2019s Good Morning Britain.<\/p>\n Only 708 places remained in the adult male estate as of 8 July, according to the latest available government figures. The adult male prison population on Monday was 83,755 out of a \u201cusable operational capacity\u201d of 84,463, the data suggests.<\/p>\n Mahmood is expected to make the announcement after visiting HMP Bedford and HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire on Friday.<\/p>\n For the prison system to run smoothly and effectively, officials ideally want to keep a buffer of 1,425 cell spaces free in men\u2019s prisons at all times to make sure there is enough space to hold sudden influxes of inmates.<\/p>\n