Thousands of prisoners in the UK were set to be released early on Tuesday to help ease overcrowding in British jails.
Recent figures show that the prison population in England and Wales is at its highest-ever level. To address this, the government decided to release 1,700 prisoners.
However, there are concerns about released prisoners reoffending. The government has assured that “no violent offenders, no domestic abusers will be eligible” for early release, according to Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds.
He told Sky News that it was “a difficult decision” but necessary to address the current crisis.
Downing Street stated that the policy was needed to avoid “unchecked criminality,” where newly convicted criminals might avoid jail because there simply aren’t enough spaces available.
Reynolds criticized the previous Conservative government, which was voted out in July, for failing to address the overcrowding issue sooner. He said, “The decision should have been made prior to the election,” but accused the former government of having “given up on governing.” He added, “Of all the scandals we inherited, I think the prison system, the justice system, is probably the worst of all.”
Chief Inspector of Probation Martin Jones spoke to BBC Radio about the severity of the overcrowding problem, stating, “It’s the highest population we’ve ever seen in this country. Prisons are absolutely close to 100 percent capacity.” He added, “My understanding, as of yesterday, there is a couple of 100 spaces remaining.”
Jones also warned of the likelihood that some released prisoners would reoffend, noting that “it’s a certainty that some will reoffend.” He highlighted that about a third of people released from prison each year go on to commit further crimes within a year.
The prison population has increased in recent months, partly due to those convicted of participating in anti-immigration riots across England.
The government has confirmed that those involved in the unrest will not be excluded from the early release plans.
