- Hundreds of prisoners are set to be freed on Thursday in the first wave of the Government's expanded early release scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding in England and Wales.
- Around 5,000 prisoners will be released in stages over the next year after ministers updated the policy to exclude rapists, serious child sex offenders, and those convicted of manslaughter.
- The move comes as the prison population in England and Wales grew by 1,738 in three months to reach 87,499.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham faced significant backlash over original proposals, leading Justice Secretary Alex Norris to apologise to victims after eligibility criteria were tightened.
- Introduced under the 2026 Sentencing Act, the scheme allows certain fixed-term prisoners to be released after serving a third of their sentence rather than 40 per cent.
IN FULL
Hundreds of prisoners to walk free as expanded early release scheme begins
