The early release scheme it's a gimmick and helps no-one but criminals. Just build more prisons.

Evidence suggests that there is less reoffending in countries with more focus on rehabilitation, than there is in countries with a more punishment based model of incarceration.

GrannyGravy13

The early releases started 2007-2010 under Gordon Brown to manage severe overcrowding.

Actually- Prison Early Releases in England began in 1853 under the Conservative Government 1853 Penal Servitude Act which introduced the "ticket of leave" system, allowing convicts to serve the final portion of their sentences on license in the community.

Over the decades, statutory early release became more formalised. Key milestones include:
Conservative Government 1991 The Criminal Justice Act introduced automatic early release for prisoners serving sentences of less than four years.
Labour Party 2003 Automatic early release was expanded to include more serious criminals.

Due to chronic prison capacity crises, various governments have frequently relied on emergency early release schemes:
Conservative Government ECSL Scheme October 2023 The End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) allowed eligible offenders to be freed up to 18 days early.
2024 Emergency Measures authorised by Rishi Sunak Conservative Government prior to the July 2024 GE Facing critical overcrowding, the Conservative government implemented an emergency scheme allowing eligible prisoners serving more than five years to be released automatically after serving just 40% of their sentence instead of 50%. Sex offenders, high-level violent offenders, and domestic abusers were excluded.

Modern Reforms: In recent years, up to 70% of prisoners were subject to automatic early release, with subsequent policies exploring the option for inmates to earn earlier release credits through work, education, or training.
You can track current legislative developments and prison data on the Ministry of Justice portal. For historical context and penal reform analysis, visit the Howard League for Penal Reform.

GrannyGravy13

The two people who qualify for early release were passengers in the car that dragged and killed the policeman, the driver is not for early release.

Yes but they were laughing in court so clearly have no respect for the law or the police officer who was murdered.

The two people who qualify for early release were passengers in the car that dragged and killed the policeman, the driver is not for early release.

Casdon

He’s on it like a car bonnet.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ejwedl1gno

Thanks. I'm glad AB is going to check on this. We need to know that those being released are no danger to the public.
The case of the two men involved in the killing of a police officer needs special attention. They clearly have no respect for the law so maybe they should stay in prison.
Killing a police officer in the line of duty is a very serious offence.

He’s on it like a car bonnet.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ejwedl1gno

Well they can't even blame it on drink then obviously that's what they think. As for the Conservative Party well Labour have been in power for 2 years they can't keep blaming them.
But they will as they have no other form of defence.
Mahmood is in a delicate situation as she is responsible for seeing Shabir Ahmed deported back to Pakistan, and they don't want him.
First mistake. He should not have been released until secure provision was arranged.
Second mistake. Laughing uproariously at a recycled joke dating back to Theresa May's time.
Third Mistake. Failing to make a proper apology, instead following the Labour mantra : it is all the fault of the Tories.

No. This one is all her own.

I can’t imagine how the family and friends of the poor young man who was dragged along the road until he died are feeling.

No way should those feral scum be given an early release. Shocking!

The early releases started 2007-2010 under Gordon Brown to manage severe overcrowding.

Re the prisons they damn well can as they started addressing the problem almost right away.

Whitewavemark2

I think you are having fun trying to dredge up everything you can think of to knock Labour.

What do I think?

Early release is something all governments make use of.

If you can provide some data showing how released prisoners are a real risk snd threat to society, apart from the odd one or two - that would be useful.

Sadly, Labour are more than capable of knocking themselves.

Following in the footsteps of 'Robber' Reeves, the expectation that the Income Tax Threshold would - at last - be raised to give hope to pensioners and the low-paid has been well and truly flushed down the political toilet.

It's been locked in at £12,570 until 2031. Thanks a bunch Andy B.

12:14Tuliptree

Well they can't even blame it on drink then obviously that's what they think. As for the Conservative Party well Labour have been in power for 2 years they can't keep blaming them.

My understudying is that The Sentencing Act 2026 overhauls early release, transitioning most standard fixed-term prisoners from serving 40% to serving 33% of their custodial time in prison before release on licence. Those convicted of severe offences (e.g., manslaughter, rape) can be released at the 50% point, down from two-thirds.

But there are exceptions. Prisoners sentenced for serious violent, sexual, and domestic abuse offences can be exempt from early release.

Andy Burnham said the driver of the vehicle who received a 16-year sentence, would not be eligible for the scheme. The other two who were passengers in the vehicle and both 17 at the time, were sentenced to 13 years in custody for manslaughter but might be eligible for early release under the new Sentencing Act.

Burnham said he had spoken to the new justice secretary, who would "review the policy" and "make further statements in due course”. (BBC)

It seems to me that even without the new Act they would have been eligible for release on licence after 8 years and not 6 or 7 - but of course many not get parole at all.

Sunshinegirls

Mamood and Streeting caught having a laugh about early release scheme someone said 'He wants to release them all' to much laughter and knocking their drinks back mmmm many a true word spoken in jest.

They were not drinking but obviously should not have been joking about it . But you know who’s laughed most? The Tories who deliberately refused to build enough prisons to help fund tax cuts for their friends or provide funds for defective PPE

I’m out for a bit.
Back later this afternoon see if there’s any uptake on this thread.

To a degree momb but to be honest all the liberal talk of rehabilitation and support makes me annoyed when victims seem to be living with the decisions made.

I’m of the opinion that if prisons were more of a deterrent instead of drugs and phones getting in and female warders with trout lips and thick eyelashes being employed in MALE prisons (wrong on so many levels) we might start to get somewhere.

Okay not a Bangkok Hilton but more harsh than we have now. So present rehab is a joke and the prison entrance may just as well be fitted with a turnstile.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Okay I like your facts Tuliptree and Graphite.

Mine is usually more of an emotional reaction to what I read in the news.

Something stinks.

Why don’t you feel the need to check facts and then base your reaction on those? I can’t help but feel that the eagerness to bash the current government overtakes all rationality on GN sometimes. There’s a really interesting discussion to be had about penal policy and the CJS in general but it would be a waste of time in a fact free bubble

There are two basic alternatives when it comes to controlling behaviour. Rewarding good, and punishing bad.

In a humane society, what sorts of punishment are available to prison authorities without resorting to brutality? Releasing people early has long been a reward for good behaviour, under all governments. Someone who does not behave, eg Charles Bronson, can stay in jail for decades (he has been in since 1974).

I think criminals convicted of murder, manslaughter, rape, gbh etc should serve their full term sentence which are far to lenient to begin with.

Prisons need a total overhaul and a lot of investment. Rehabilitation and education are key as well as good mental health provision. We need more robust systems in place to stop drugs getting into prisons. Prisoners need rewarding for positive behaviours. We actually need to care for these broken people.

Mamood and Streeting caught having a laugh about early release scheme someone said 'He wants to release them all' to much laughter and knocking their drinks back mmmm many a true word spoken in jest.

One of the functions of prison is actually punishment, along with protection for victims and some evidence of justice being done.

No doubt you find Shabana Mahmood and Wes Streeting's merry little joke about the early release of prisoners terribly funny.
I don't.
Streeting has given an apology.
Mahmood's surly response was to apportion blame on the Conservatives.
As always.

Okay I like your facts Tuliptree and Graphite.

Mine is usually more of an emotional reaction to what I read in the news.

Something stinks.

Not dredging anything up Whitewave
Honestly not.

I’m actually more than happy with some of the changes in Cabinet that AB has made and I’m more than prepared to give him a proper chance. Why wouldn’t anyone? It’s in our bests interests if he makes wise decisions.

No, it was much more feeling abject sorrow for the mother of the PC who was dragged along country roads being tossed about for a mile by 3 teenagers from the travelling fraternity who had stolen a quad bike and carried weapons, determined not to be thwarted by anyone.

Then in Court it came to light afterwards that some of the jurors had been targetted and their families threatened by members of said community who had tried to hide the perpetrators.

The case was shocking.

These feral kids needed to serve their full sentences. This was NOT a white collar crime. Absolute thugs.

Read the government’s 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67586f828a1ef8f66413b9c2/24.231_MOJ_10-Year_Capacity_Strat_Pub_v10.1_WEB.pdf

Extracts:

This strategy sets out our plans to increase capacity and correct the errors of the past. However, with new build prisons currently taking at least seven years to deliver, we will not simply be able to build our way out of this inherited crisis.

Prison builds are complex capital projects. Appealing planning refusals has delayed delivery of some projects. We have also seen increased costs as a result of a period of exceptional inflation, which has driven up the price of timber and steel. We have also seen increased construction sector insolvencies and supplier vulnerability to wider economic conditions in the construction market have also impacted delivery timelines. Each three-month delay to a new prison adds around £8 million in construction cost inflation.

This is why it is important to obtain planning permission, particularly for new prisons, in a timely way. In the past, this has been a costly and time-consuming process. Under the previous government, challenges securing planning permission have led to delays to prison building and drove up the cost of the overall programme. The new prisons in Lancashire, Buckinghamshire and Leicestershire were in the planning system for 40 months, 30 months and 29 months respectively. Without these delays, around 5,000 additional prison places would have been available in new prisons by early 2027.

What do you suggest in the meantime?