LONDON, Feb 25 : The UK authorities have indefinitely extended an early release scheme for prisoners because of a lack of space in prisons, the Sky News broadcaster reported on Sunday, citing a guidance to prisons.
The measure could allow more people convicted of domestic abuse and related crimes, among others, to be released from prison early, the report said.
Those prisoners who were convicted of more serious offences and sentenced to more than four years of imprisonment are not eligible for an early release, according to the new guidance.
The measure’s activation “for an undefined period” does not provide for its introduction on a permanent basis, the broadcaster reported. However, the authorities have not named the date of the scheme’s termination, it added.
In October 2023, President of the Prison Governors’ Association Andrea Albutt said the UK was on the brink of running out of spare prison places as the number of prisoners neared a critical point. At the time, prisons reportedly held 70 per cent more inmates than originally planned.
The media reported that the UK planned to build new correctional facilities by the end of the decade, creating prisons with 20,000 cells to solve the problem. According to projections by the UK Justice Ministry, the number of prisoners in the country will rise from 93,000 to 106,000 by March 2027. (UNI)
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