How the UK's Early Prisoner Release Plan Sparked Controversy and Concerns

“We inherited a prison system on the point of collapse,” this statement was not made by an ordinary citizen, but by British Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood a few days ago. While the UK is suffering from a prison overcrowding crisis, she justifies the decision to release thousands of prisoners to make place for others.

The prison population in England and Wales has reached a record high, with just 1.2% of prison places free in these two nations.

The main reason for this crisis is the outbreak of riots this summer, which included violence, arson, looting, and racist attacks targeting Muslims and immigrants, following the killing of three young girls.

As a result, the police arrested a large number of those involved in these incidents across the country.

The UK has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe, according to the World Prison Brief website. Prisoner numbers have risen sharply since the Covid-19 pandemic, due to long sentences, often delayed sentences, and the requirement that many convicts serve at least 65% of their sentences behind bars.

In the same context, there have been reports of anger among some prisoners who were released from UK prisons, as they committed crimes, including theft and assault, immediately after their release, with the aim of returning to prison again.

According to observers in Britain, for years there have been those who have committed crimes in order to enter prison, due to the free benefits available compared to the high cost of living in the country, especially for some of the poorest groups.

Worrying Plan

The UK government’s plans to release thousands of prisoners early, which came into effect last week, have raised widespread concerns about the worsening problem of homelessness and the rise in crime rates.

This plan comes within the framework of the government’s efforts to relieve pressure on the prison system and provide additional space, but it has been criticized regarding the fate of prisoners who will find themselves homeless after their release.

In July, the UK Justice Secretary announced a temporary plan to release 5,500 prisoners from UK prisons during September and October, according to The Guardian, as part of an emergency plan to prevent the UK’s prisons from reaching the point of collapse.

This is the first time that the UK has announced the number of prisoners it is releasing.

The first batch of prisoners included in the decision were released on September 10, numbering 1,750 prisoners, after they had served 40% of their sentences.

The decision excludes criminals convicted of serious crimes, those sentenced to four years or more, and sex offenders.

Justifying the decision, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “We inherited a prison system on the point of collapse. This is not a change we wanted to make - it was the only option left on the table because the alternative would have seen a total collapse of the criminal justice system.”

“We would have seen the breakdown of law and order because courts would not have been able to conduct trials, and the police would not have been able to make arrests,” she added.

PM Keir Starmer said he was truly shocked by the prison system when he took over.

He claimed this was the Conservatives’ fault, because they chose not to build enough prisons – meaning he was forced into this decision early on in his premiership.

The Conservatives have previously said the Labour government had badly managed the early release of prisoners, leading to serious public concern about the process.

Hundreds of prisoners are set to be released early next month in the second phase of the plan, according to The Guardian, amid pressure from ministers to find long-term solutions to the problem, and warnings from prison governors that the problem could return within a year unless other measures are taken.

A man freed from prison in Sittingbourne in Kent, under the Government’s early release plan, is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman on the same day he was released, Sky News reported.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “While we cannot comment on the details of any individual case, those who breach their licence conditions or commit other offences will be punished.”

Violent Riots

Prisoner numbers have fallen dramatically in both England and Wales after the UK government began implementing early releases, with the total number falling to 86,333, according to Ministry of Justice figures.

According to statistics released, the Ministry of Justice said on September 13, the prison population had fallen by 2,188 in the past week.

Meanwhile, hopes that emptying up to 5,500 prison places could buy 18 months before jails filled up again have been dashed after hundreds of people were charged over the rioting that broke out this summer, meaning prisons could quickly become overcrowded.

A senior justice source said to the Telegraph: “The early release scheme is only going to buy us nine months. There is a recognition that the period has been shortened by what has happened around the disorder.”

The number of people in prisons has risen after violent riots broke out across England and Northern Ireland in late July and early August. 

The riots were fuelled by misinformation about the suspect in the stabbing of three girls in Southport on July 29 and anti-immigration sentiment.

As of September 6, police had arrested 1,380 people, prosecutors had laid 863 charges in connection with the disturbances, and more than 570 had been jailed or brought before the courts, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

The relentless rise in the prison population is also being driven by more arrests as a result of the uplift of 20,000 police officers, longer sentences for crimes introduced by successive governments and increased recalls to jail of freed prisoners because they have breached their probation or reoffended.

Last week, The Telegraph revealed that recalls jumped by 9% after the Tories introduced their early release scheme last October, with 7,000 returned to prison in the first four months of this year.

Prison Overcrowding

The mass release coincides with a damning report from the chief inspector which describes a devastating picture of life behind bars with a surge in illicit drug use, self-harm, and violence, Sky News reported.

Of the 32 prisons inspected, 30 were poor or not good enough at providing meaningful activity, and 60% were overcrowded.

The risk is not just to communities, with overcrowding a killer for some prisoners and staff shortages meaning prisoners are more at risk of drug addiction and self-harm.

According to the report, 10 prisoners died at Park Prison earlier this year, and self-harm in the prison doubled last year from 1,088 recorded incidents to 2,330.

The Sky News report also found that 30% of those who left Bedford Prison had nowhere to live outside.

Studies have shown that prisoners who are housed in stable housing after release are 50% less likely to re-offend.

On the other hand, Former chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick has warned: “A lot of those released, I fear will end up homeless because there simply isn’t the accommodation for them.”

In turn, Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons in England and Wales, raised concerns a sudden rush of former prisoners seeking accommodation could increase homelessness.

Taylor also highlighted the link between homelessness and reoffending.

“They’re going back out onto the streets, and then they’re back within the prison in a matter of days,” he told the BBC.

The data reveals that 8,355 people in England and Wales – 12% of released prisoners – found themselves homeless after being released last year, an increase of 2,310 from the previous year.

The data also showed that more than 3,000 people were still living on the streets three months after their release.