5,000 Prisoners to Walk Free Early as UK Jails Near Capacity
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MENAFNThe releases, authorized under the Sentencing Act 2026, bring the planned total to roughly 5,000 over the next year. This round covers prisoners serving between two years and five months and three years and two months.
The second phase took place last month, when 650 prisoners serving between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half years were released.
The overall target has been cut from 6,000 after ministers stepped in to exclude rapists and the most serious child sex offenders. People convicted of manslaughter are also barred from the scheme.
Under the law, prisoners on standard determinate sentences must now serve one-third of their term in custody, down from half. Those convicted of more serious offenses become eligible for release after half their sentence, rather than the previous two-thirds.
The measures are aimed at easing pressure on Britain’s prison estate, which is close to full capacity.
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