Overview

• The Ministry of Justice confirmed that 37 prisoners were mistakenly released early due to their offences being logged under repealed legislation.
• The error occurred under a new early release scheme aimed at alleviating prison overcrowding by reducing the time served from 50% to 40% of sentences.
• Five of the mistakenly released prisoners are still at large, while the majority have been returned to custody.
• The early release scheme was designed to exclude offenders convicted of domestic abuse, stalking, and other serious crimes, but a technical glitch led to the oversight.
• Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering Texas-style reforms to reduce reoffending and manage prison populations more effectively.