Wafric News – May 14, 2025

The UK government has announced a controversial move to release over a thousand prisoners early in a bid to relieve mounting pressure on the country’s overcrowded prison system.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed that certain inmates in England and Wales—specifically those serving between one and four years and recalled for breaching licence conditions—will now be released just 28 days after being returned to custody. The measure is part of an emergency response to what officials describe as a prison system “on the brink of collapse.”

“If we don't act now, we will run out of prison space in just five months,” warned a senior official from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

The early-release policy is expected to free up around 1,400 spaces across the prison network, offering short-term relief while the government scrambles for longer-term solutions. However, Mahmood was quick to clarify that the policy excludes individuals considered high-risk or those who have committed further serious offences.

The justice secretary also acknowledged the limitations of relying solely on infrastructure. “We cannot build our way out of this crisis,” Mahmood said, noting that although the government is investing £4.7 billion in new prison facilities, the impact of those expansions won’t be felt for years.

Three new prisons are set to begin construction this year, with one located near HMP Gartree in Leicestershire. This comes after the recent opening of HMP Millsike near York. But Mahmood cautioned that, despite these developments, male prisons could still reach full capacity by November 2025.

Currently, the total operational prison capacity stands at 89,442, with 88,087 inmates occupying those spaces—leaving a razor-thin margin of just over 1,300 beds. Notably, prisoners recalled for breaching licence terms now make up over 13,500 of the total prison population, reflecting a sharp increase in recent years.

In an unusual step, the government has opted to bypass the traditional parole board process for affected offenders, citing administrative delays as a key reason. Ministers argue that these prisoners would likely have been cleared for release already if not for a significant backlog in assessments.

Meanwhile, broader reforms are on the horizon. A sentencing review led by former Conservative minister David Gauke is expected to propose additional changes, but any policy shifts resulting from that review won’t take effect until at least spring 2026.

Interim MoJ Permanent Secretary Amy Rees painted a stark picture of the trajectory ahead. “At this rate, we will run out of prison places for adult men entirely by November,” she warned.

As the prison population continues to climb—with projections estimating numbers could soar past 100,000 by 2029—the government’s early-release policy may be just the first in a series of dramatic moves to confront the growing crisis.


By WafricNews Desk.