Government launches first wave of expanded early-release programme, freeing hundreds
Hundreds of inmates will be released on Thursday as the first stage of the government’s expanded early-release scheme begins, with a total of about 5,000 slated for freedom over the next year.
On Thursday, the first batch of the expanded early-release programme will see several hundred prisoners freed, part of a plan to release roughly 5,000 inmates over the coming year. The initiative responds to a 2% increase in the prison population - up 1,738 since late June - and seeks to prevent a collapse of the justice system. Ministers have barred those convicted of rape and the most serious child-sex crimes, including members of grooming gangs, from benefiting.
The changes are enabled by the 2026 Sentencing Act, which reduces the eligibility point from 40% to a third of a sentence. Prime Minister Andy Burnham faced criticism after earlier proposals would have allowed convicted manslaughterers Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole early release. Since its launch in September 2024, the scheme has already freed 70,066 prisoners, though numbers have fluctuated between 86,000 and 88,000 since early 2025.
Why it matters
The release programme aims to reduce prison overcrowding and avert a potential breakdown of the justice system.
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