- Nearly 40,000 prisoners in England and Wales have been granted early release under a government scheme launched last September.
- As of the end of June this year, 38,042 inmates have been freed early due to severe overcrowding in prisons.
- The emergency measure allows eligible prisoners to be released after serving 40 per cent of their fixed-term sentence, rather than the usual 50 per cent.
- Officials had warned that male prisons were projected to reach zero capacity by November this year, highlighting the urgency of the scheme.
- The Sentencing Bill has been introduced to Parliament proposing long-term solutions including an earned release scheme and community punishments for shorter sentences, alongside plans for 14,000 new prison places by 2031.
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