Overview
- The first wave began on October 1, 2026, when roughly 700 prisoners were released and ministers said about 4,500–5,000 more will be freed in staged waves over the next year.
- Ministers narrowed eligibility after summer backlash so that rapists, the most serious child sex offenders and those convicted of manslaughter are excluded, including the killers of PC Andrew Harper.
- The Ministry of Justice says released offenders will face new measures such as local restriction zones, wider use of GPS and alcohol tags, and near‑live access to tagging data for probation.
- Victims’ groups, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and inspectors warn safeguards are unready because probation is under capacity, electronic‑tag fitting has suffered long delays and recalls have risen sharply.
- The government cites MoJ weekly data showing a prison population of 87,499 to justify the policy, and points to prior emergency releases that freed tens of thousands while critics and police say the burden will shift to communities.