Several inmates were mistakenly released as part of a new early release mechanism implemented by the British government to address prison overcrowding.
Public Safety Number One Priority
According to reports from Digi24 this decision was confirmed by the British Ministry of Justice.
In September alone, approximately 1,750 prisoners were released under this program, which allows certain inmates to be eligible for early release after serving 40% of their sentence, a reduction from the previous threshold of 50%.
As the government seeks to alleviate prison congestion, thousands more inmates could be released soon.
A spokesperson for the Ministry confirmed that a very small number of prisoners had been released in error.
“Convictions remain valid, and offenders are being monitored since their release and will soon be back behind bars,” the spokesperson stated, emphasizing that “public safety is the number one priority.”
Five Remain Free
Among those mistakenly released were 37 inmates who had been imprisoned for violating restraining orders.
Most of them have already returned to prison, with only five remaining free. The Ministry explained that these 37 inmates were sentenced under outdated legislation, which did not identify their convictions as ineligible for the new early release program.
The United Kingdom currently holds the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe and is grappling with a crisis due to increasing overcrowding in detention centers. This crisis is exacerbated by stricter sentencing and delays within the justice system.
The new Labour government has warned that prisons could reach full capacity within weeks, necessitating early releases. Notably, prisoners convicted of violent offenses serving sentences of over four years are excluded from this early release program.
