Hundreds of criminals leave prison under early release scheme

In England and Wales, around 4,500 prisoners are set to be released early between October 2026 and June 2027 under a new scheme to prevent prisons from reaching capacity. The first batch of 700 inmates, mostly serving sentences of up to 19 months, was released on Thursday with strict monitoring measures, including electronic tagging. The plan has faced criticism from victims and experts, as prison populations reach nearly 98.2% capacity. The government states that measures are in place to monitor these offenders, despite concerns about the probation service's resources.