Britain Frees More Inmates Early to Relieve Prison Overcrowding

(MENAFN) The British government is releasing hundreds of additional prisoners ahead of schedule as part of its ongoing efforts to address severe overcrowding in correctional facilities across the country, according to media reports.

A new group of 650 inmates is scheduled to be freed on Tuesday under a program established by the Sentencing Act 2026. The latest move brings the number of planned early releases to approximately 5,000 over the coming year.

This marks the third phase of the initiative, covering prisoners serving sentences ranging from two years and five months to three years and two months.

The previous phase took place last month, when another 650 inmates serving prison terms of between 18 months and two-and-a-half years were released under the same arrangement.

The government initially expected to release around 6,000 prisoners, but the figure was subsequently lowered after ministers intervened to prevent certain offenders from qualifying. The exclusions cover individuals convicted of rape, the most serious child sexual abuse offenses, and manslaughter.

Under the revised sentencing framework, inmates serving standard fixed-term sentences will become eligible for release after completing one-third of their prison terms, compared with the previous requirement of half their sentences. For individuals convicted of more serious crimes, the required period behind bars will fall from two-thirds of their sentence to half.

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