The United Kingdom's Labour government has announced plans to reduce prison overcrowding by allowing certain prisoners to be released after serving only 40% of their sentences. The move aims to address the critical overcrowding crisis in UK prisons, which has reached over 99% capacity.
The United Kingdom's Labour government has unveiled emergency measures to address the pressing issue of prison overcrowding, which has reached a critical point. The policy, announced by Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood, will allow prisoners who have served 40% of their sentences to be released, reducing the custodial sentence served from 50% to 40%.
UK Tackles Prison Overcrowding with Early Release for Low-Risk Prisoners
The decision stems from the dire situation in UK prisons, which have been operating at over 99% capacity since the start of 2023. Mahmood acknowledged that only "hundreds of places" remain in adult male prisons, and that space is expected to be fully occupied within weeks.
To combat the crisis, Mahmood has authorized a change to early release measures, stressing that the policy will include "important safeguards and exemptions" to protect public safety. The policy will not apply to convicts of sex offenses or domestic abuse-related crimes, including stalking offenses, controlling or coercive behaviors, non-fatal strangulation and suffocation, and any convicts who have breached restraining orders and abuse protection orders.
UK Tackles Prison Overcrowding with Early Release for Low-Risk Prisoners
The new policy will go into effect in September and will include "regular publications of releases under the changes to standard determinate sentences." The UK will often release criminals for certain types of offenses "on license" – the equivalent of releasing a prisoner on probation – with conditions that include regular contact with a supervising officer, reporting all addresses and movements to the court, receiving approval for any jobs, and a ban on travel outside of the United Kingdom.
The Ministry of Justice claims that the new policy will lead to over 10,000 offenders being released early, which would constitute approximately 11% of all beds. Previous estimates indicated a prison population of around 89,000 before UK prisons reached their maximum "operational capacity." ABC News reported that the total prison population under old policies could hit around 99,000 by the end of next year without changes.
UK Tackles Prison Overcrowding with Early Release for Low-Risk Prisoners
Mahmood warned that overflow would force local police stations to use their prison cells, leading to a ripple effect that she claims would cause a collapse of the justice system.
Families of victims have expressed outrage at the plan, raising concerns that if the already-existing prisons cannot handle such a population, then the external supervision structures likewise will be overwhelmed with an influx of new parolees to handle.
UK Tackles Prison Overcrowding with Early Release for Low-Risk Prisoners
Mahmood emphasized that the policy is temporary and underscored her "unapologetic" belief that "criminals must be punished." The Ministry of Justice will look to add 1,000 additional trainee probation officers by March 2025 and has committed to greater transparency with the public on sentencing issues.
The new prisons secretary, James Timpson, CEO of key cutters and shoe repair service Timpsons, has urged for prison reform, which would aim to reduce imprisonment and refocus development on rehabilitation programs that include training, education, or therapy.
UK Tackles Prison Overcrowding with Early Release for Low-Risk Prisoners
