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Prisoners released early to free up space

by Dave Keating | May 28, 2008 at 02:49 am

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UK prison guards are telling the government that the nation's prisons are full, on the same day that the number of British prisoners has hit an all-time high at 83,000. Over the bank holiday weekend, which saw an unusually high number of violent attacks, more than 250 people were added to that system.

More than 500 prisoners are to be released just halfway through their sentences in an effort to free desperately-needed space in overcrowded jails.

The Ministry of Justice authorised the move, just as the prison population of England and Wales passed 83,000 for the first time. The number of those behind bars leapt by 250 over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The early release plans centre on 550 non-violent and non-sexual offenders serving more than four years who would previously have had to wait until two-thirds into their sentences before being freed.

They will be let out over the next 14 months, beginning in a fortnight's time, with prison governors warned that failure to comply could amount to "unlawful detention" of offenders.

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Jordan Yerman

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 04:49 on May 28th, 2008

Whether or not they understand that they're saying it, HM Prisons are telling the public that they've been holding prisoners who shouldn't have been in prison.