Tories Accuse Labour of 'Nonsense' on Prisoner Early Release Scheme

Labour has been criticized for its early prisoner release scheme, with a further 650 inmates freed from jail. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy stated that reoffending rates are "off the charts" due to the government's program, which permits criminals to be released after serving as little as one-third of their sentences. Timothy also attacked the government for failing to provide details on how many released inmates have been fitted with electronic tags.

Timothy argued that the Justice Secretary's assurances of robust tagging safeguards, including a presumption for all released prisoners to be tagged, were "nonsense." He asserted that a majority of prisoners are not being tagged before release and that reoffending is already high. Data from the Metropolitan Police reportedly shows 100 tag breaches in London each day since the scheme began, with two to three prisoners released early being re-arrested weekly.

During an urgent question in the House of Commons, Timothy demanded clarity on the number of tagged and untagged released prisoners and the number of those who have breached their early release terms. Justice minister Jake Richards stated that data related to prison releases would be provided in January, emphasizing that the new sentencing regime requires data to be released appropriately.

The latest wave of releases follows the launch of the new scheme on October 1, which is expected to free up to 50,000 prisoners annually. Prisoners serving up to two and a half years, including those convicted of violent offenses and domestic abuse, are among those being released. The scheme is set to expand monthly, with those serving sentences of 12 years or more becoming eligible by early June. Prisoners previously eligible for release after serving 40% or 50% of their sentences are now being freed after 33%. For certain violent and sexual offenders, the release point will shift from the two-thirds mark to the halfway stage.

Unlike Labour's previous early release program, which freed over 70,000 offenders, the Ministry of Justice will not publish specific figures for the new scheme. Instead, these numbers will be incorporated into existing statistics, making it difficult to ascertain the full scale of the releases. Timothy described this as a "cover-up by Labour to hide the true scale of their latest disastrous early release scheme" and called for transparency.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced plans to build 50,000 new jail places if her party wins the next general election, aiming to increase the prison estate by over 50%. Current figures indicate that prisons in England and Wales are operating at nearly 98% capacity, with 87,033 prisoners on Monday, leaving only 1,951 empty cells.

While overall figures on reoffending by released prisoners are not yet available, a senior Metropolitan Police officer noted that one offender released under the new scheme committed multiple new offenses rapidly. Prolific offender Michael Bogle, 38, who was previously photographed leaving HMP Wandsworth on the first day of the release scheme, admitted to 11 shoplifting offenses and was re-jailed. Bogle had previously stated, "Keep the early release going. It's good."

Greater Manchester Police reported that eight men were arrested within days of their early release for offenses including robbery, domestic violence, and drug-related crimes. The Conservatives have consistently warned that the Prime Minister's program poses an "acute threat" to public safety.

The current releases represent a significant expansion of Labour's earlier early release scheme, initiated in September 2024 to alleviate overcrowding. Ministry of Justice documents describe the new program as a "new permanent approach," with early releases continuing on a "business-as-usual basis." Approximately 4,500 offenders are released from custody monthly, and the majority are expected to benefit from the new early release terms enacted by the Sentencing Act. The government has not disclosed the total projected number of early releases, though Labour's initial scheme resulted in 3,000 to 4,000 early releases per month. The new program could see around 50,000 offenders freed early annually, after accounting for excluded groups such as those serving life sentences or extended sentences for violent and sexual offenses.

An MoJ spokesman stated that the government "inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse" and that the implemented changes are part of a long-term overhaul to end the prison crisis and keep dangerous offenders incarcerated. The Sentencing Act, he added, followed an independent review and underwent full parliamentary scrutiny.