Keir Starmer is considering plans to release 40,000 prisoners early to ease prison overcrowding
Forty thousand prison inmates could be released early under “emergency” measures floated by Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In order to address prison overcrowding, criminals could be released without serving even half of their sentence. The move would benefit around 40,000 inmates serving prison terms of less than four years, for a wide variety of crimes.
Ministers are expected to confirm Labour’s manifesto pledge for a thorough review of sentencing guidelines. This would include the possibility of replacing prison sentences under 12 months with suspended jail terms.
A record 88,225 people are currently in prison in England and Wales. There are said to be less than 700 prison spaces left in men’s jails in England and Wales.
Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak blocked early-release measures in the run-up to the general election.
On Friday, his first day in office, Keir Starmer appointed James Timpson as the new Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation.
Timpson is a vocal advocate for prison reform.
He has said in the past that two-thirds of prisoners should not be in prison in the first place.
Watch this it’s fascinating – I asked James Timpson what he’d do about prisons and sentencing if he was in charge. He believes only a third of prisoners in jail should definitely be there. He’s now in charge of prisons (but not sentencing). pic.twitter.com/0Ddt0yojAG
— Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) July 6, 2024
The proposed earl-release measure has been greeted with widespread criticism on social media.
“The madness has started,” Tweeted Reform MP Lee Anderson.
“It is being reported that Labour’s groundbreaking idea to reduce crime is to release thousands of criminals onto our streets. Genius.”
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