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Justice Secretary Alex Norris admitted he does not know how many prisoners released early under Labour's scheme to reduce jail overcrowding have been fitted with electronic tags for monitoring their movements. When asked by the BBC about the number of tagged inmates, Norris stated it was too soon to provide an accurate figure since the release only began on Thursday. The admission comes amid concerns from some members of the public and opposition parties regarding the lack of proper supervision post-release for certain freed prisoners, particularly those who were domestic abusers.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
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.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but every quote it verified points right, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 56281: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-10-05
The Justice Secretary has admitted he does not know how many prisoners freed early from prison have been tagged.
asserted
prisoners → admit → prison
Alex Norris claimed it was 'too soon' to know which of the 700 criminals let out of jail last week had been fitted with the electronic devices that monitor their movements.
asserted
that → claim → movements
It comes as Labour scrapped plans to tackle a massive courts case backlog by curbing jury trials following a backlash.
asserted
Labour → come → backlash
Mr Norris said the proposals would have slowed down justice reforms and insisted the backlog will still fall despite the U-turn.
asserted
backlog → say → turn
His comments on tagging come despite his department claiming on Thursday, when the first tranche of inmates were released under Labour's controversial scheme to reduce jail overcrowding, that 'offenders leaving prison from today will be monitored under the toughest supervision in British history'.
asserted
offenders → come → history
Under what the Ministry of Justice branded the 'biggest ever expansion of electronic monitoring in British history', there is now meant to be a 'presumption that offenders will be electronically tagged and monitored when they leave prison'.
asserted
they → brand → prison
But asked by the BBC on Sunday how many of those released early had been tagged, he admitted: 'I don't have that figure today, it only happened on Thursday.
asserted
it → ask → Thursday
You know, there can be a bit of a lag.'
asserted
You → know → lag
He said some criminals are now being tagged as they leave prison, but this was only under a pilot project, and that for others 'sometimes it can take a little bit of time'.
asserted
it → say → time
Alex Norris has admitted he does not know how many prisoners freed early from prison have been tagged (pictured at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool last week)
Told that some of those set free were domestic abusers, whose victims are now living in fear, Mr Norris said: 'With regards to domestic abuse, the Prime Minister was clear, I was too, we would like to have gone further.
asserted
we → admit → abuse
We haven't been able to because the alternative would've been no prison places being available which meant perpetrators being bailed back to home.
asserted
perpetrators → mean → home
So our mitigation of that is to put those controls in place.'
asserted
mitigation → put → place
Asked how the public can have faith in the promised safeguards given that 5,000 offenders have been allowed to flout court orders requiring them to wear tags, he said: 'I'm well aware of the past in tagging.
asserted
I → ask → tagging
Over the last year performance has increased significantly.'
asserted
performance → increase → year
Mr Norris was also challenged over how Labour can tackle the backlog of Crown Court trials now that he has scrapped curbs on jury trials proposed by his predecessor David Lammy.
asserted
he → challenge → predecessor
Under his changes to the Courts Bill, judges will only sit alone for complex fraud cases.
asserted
judges → sit → cases
He insisted the backlog would still fall, including by removing the 'right to elect' that lets some defendants choose jury trial.
asserted
defendants → insist → trial
'So the court will decide whether a case is heard in the magistrates or heard in the Crown Court.
asserted
case → decide → Court
Similarly, restricting the context in which a case tried in the Magistrates Court can have an appeal in the Crown Court.
asserted
case → restrict → Court
We're increasing the length of sentences that magistrates can pass so they can do more cases,' Mr Norris told Sky News.
asserted
Norris → increase → News
'So all of that will reroute cases through the system in a way that means that they get dealt with more quickly because, as I say at the moment, those waiting lists are unacceptable.
asserted
lists → reroute → moment
This package will indeed drive them down.'
asserted
package → drive → them
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