Prisoners were released early from jails in London and other parts of the country on Thursday as part of a plan to ease prison overcrowding. Around 700 inmates, including some at HMP Brixton and HMP Wandsworth, were freed in the first wave of this controversial program. The Ministry of Justice stated that these offenders will be under “toughest supervision in British history,” with approximately 5,000 prisoners set to be released over the next year. This release comes amid a prison population increase by more than 1,700 in recent months, reaching 87,499 as of Monday according to MoJ data.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Thursday, 700 prisoners were set to be released early from jails across England and Wales as part of an expanded government scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding. The total number of early releases over the next year is estimated to reach around 5,000, down from an initial plan that would have seen 6,000 inmates freed early; this reduction came after ministers excluded rapists and serious child sex offenders from eligibility. The scheme has faced significant backlash, particularly due to concerns about victim safety, with the domestic abuse commissioner warning that survivors will "live in fear" as perpetrators are released early. Among those eligible for release are Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were convicted of manslaughter in 2020 but will now be excluded from the scheme following public outcry. Prison overcrowding has worsened, with the inmate population jumping by over 1,700 in just three months to reach approximately 87,500 inmates as of late August 2024.
Written for “Prison Early Release Scheme” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 17 other(s) covering the same event.
Prisoners were walking from jails in London on Thursday under a controversial mass-release plan.
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Prisoners → walk → plan
Inmates were seen leaving HMP Brixton and HMP Wandsworth, as well as other jails around the country, with 700 set to be freed in the first wave of the controversially expanded programme to ease prison overcrowding.
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700 → see → overcrowding
At Wandsworth prison, one man, who refused to give his name, told reporters outside the prison that he has been released early after spending “eight days” in prison for “breach of my conditional sentence”.
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he → refuse → sentence
Asked if he thought it was right that people are being released early, he said: “Some people, yeah.
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he → ask → ?
Asked if he had anything to say to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, he said: “Thank you.”
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he → ask → you
At Brixton jail, one prisoner emerged covered in a plastic bag in an effort to conceal his identity.
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prisoner → emerge → identity
It is the latest in a series of early release schemes, including under the Conservative government and Sir Keir Starmer.
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It → include → government
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said offenders would be monitored under the “toughest supervision in British history”.
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offenders → say → history
The plan to free up capacity in the overcrowded male prison estate comes as figures show the number of people behind bars has jumped by more than 1,700 in the past three months.
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number → free → months
Some 5,000 prisoners are scheduled to be released in stages over the next year, down from 6,000, after ministers intervened to exempt rapists and the most serious child sex offenders.
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ministers → schedule → rapists
Under a separate process introduced by the previous Conservative government, 13,325 prisoners in England and Wales were freed early between October 17 2023 and September 9 2024.
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prisoners → introduce → October
The prison population of England and Wales stood at 87,499 on Monday, according to weekly data published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
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population → stand → Justice
Ministers say the expanded early release scheme is needed to prevent the justice system from collapsing, after a summer when the issue dominated news headlines.
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issue → say → headlines
Criminals will be excluded from the scheme if they have been jailed for a range of offences, including members of child grooming gangs convicted of indecent assault.
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they → exclude → assault
Prisoners guilty of manslaughter will also be excluded, meaning the killers of Pc Andrew Harper, who died in the line of duty in 2019, will not be eligible.
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who → exclude → 2019
The Conservative Party has accused the Government of putting the public at risk.
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Party → accuse → risk
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said the public would “pay the price” for the decision, which ministers have said is necessary to create capacity in jails.
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ministers → say → jails
The former adviser to Theresa May during her time as prime minister said the policy was an “insult to victims”.
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policy → say → victims
It came as the Victims Commissioner warned the early release scheme may not be workable.
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scheme → come → ?
Claire Waxman said the Government’s confidence “is not yet matched by the reality on the ground”.
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confidence → say → ground
Ms Waxman said: “Victims and the public have been repeatedly assured that robust safeguards are in place and that those released will face the toughest supervision ever imposed on offenders in the community.
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those → say → community
“As Victims’ Commissioner, my concern is that the confidence being projected by government is not yet matched by the reality on the ground.
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confidence → project → ground
The Aporia
