Why are some prisoners being released early? Everything you need to know about the government's plan

Work today ordered the early release of more than 1,000 prisoners amid growing panic that prisons as a whole may be running out of space.

Here's what you need to know, why the backlash is happening, and what might happen next.

Why is the government releasing prisoners?

This is an attempt to alleviate the prison overcrowding crisis that has been looming for some time.

This is not only a problem for the justice system. Lack of capacity also worsens conditions in prisons, increases prisoners' propensity to self-harm and violence, and makes their rehabilitation more difficult.

In August, after the right-wing extremist Unrest triggered a wave of arrests, British prisons were so overcrowded that there were reportedly only 83 places left at the men's level.

According to official figures from the Ministry of Justice, 88,521 people were incarcerated last week, the highest number since records began in 2011.

This means that only 1.2% of prison places are available – just 1,098.

The crisis is believed to have been influenced by longer prison sentences imposed by judges: the average prison sentence in 2023 will be more than 25 percent longer than in 2012.

In addition, the number of prisoners waiting for their trial to begin or for their verdict to be announced is growing.

What does the Prime Minister say?

PM Keir Starmer said he was “really shocked” at the prison system when he took over.

He claimed that this was the conservative' Guilt because they decided not to build enough prisons – that is, he was 'forced' to make this decision early in his tenure as Prime Minister.

“It was very difficult during the unrest [in August]I don't want to hide from that. We had to check every day how many places we had in the prison to arrest the people who needed to be arrested,” he said.

Starmer was aware of the problem even before he took office.

He said on television that the government had to take this unpopular step immediately before the July election and that plans for such a move were already in place while the Tories were still in power.

According to The Times, the former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ignored a letter from Britain's most senior police officials calling for his early release at the end of June – just days before the election.

How many prisoners are released early?

Around 1,750 prisoners will be released after serving a shorter sentence.

This number is in addition to the 1,000 who are normally released within a week.

Which criminals were selected for shorter prison sentences?

Prisoners serving less than five years of their sentence are released after serving 40 percent of their sentence – instead of the usual 50 percent – and are monitored with ankle bracelets, curfews and exclusion zones.

The government hopes to free up 5,500 beds.

Offenders convicted of sexual offenses, terrorism, domestic violence or violent crimes were not eligible for early release.

According to Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds, the victims of the prisoners have been informed of their release in the relevant cases.

But Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride, who is also running for Tory leader, criticised the plan.

He said: “We are not receiving satisfactory answers as to whether released prisoners are actually being provided with adequate accommodation.”

The Tories also claim that the new government has “poorly managed” this dismissal.

What security concerns are there in this regard?

Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor warned it was “inevitable” that some of them would commit further crimes after their release.

He also warned that homelessness could skyrocket and that people could “fall back into cycles of crime and drug use… or, worse, become involved in further crime.”

Baroness Newlove, the government's victims' commissioner, said it was “regrettable” that hundreds of victims had not been informed that their abusers would be released.

But Starmer told the BBC that risk assessments were in place and that high-risk prisoners would not be released “taking into account the victims”.

The regulation will also have consequences for the probation service, as offenders must be supervised by probation officers.

Chief probation officer Martin Jones said the service was already “significantly overstretched” due to a shortage of officers, poor pay, lack of staff retention and structural problems.

He claimed that “about a third” of those affected would relapse.

And it is only a temporary solution: according to the Ministry of Justice, the prison population is expected to increase by about 19,000, while the increase in capacity is expected to be much smaller, at just 9,000.

What could the government do in the long term to solve this problem?

Earlier this month there were reports that the Labour Party was seeking a partnership with Estonia and would fund the housing of some prisoners in the Eastern European country.

However, Downing Street has not confirmed such a deal.

A spokesman told reporters: “I would like to point out that this was the policy of the previous government, but that government has not made any such plans or announcements regarding Estonia.”

They added that the government would only consider options that were “practical and offered value for money to the taxpayer”.

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