Justice - British prisons full: Early release for inmates
United Kingdom will release Thousands of Prisoners earlier to create space in overcrowded Prisons. The Prisons are on the brink of collapse, warned Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood to the British Press Association PA. If no action is taken now, there is a risk of collapse of Law and Order.
Prisoners should serve only 40 percent of their sentence initially. Previously, many could be released after serving 50 percent of their time. However, exceptions will not be made for offenders convicted of serious violent crimes, sexual offenses, and domestic violence.
The new government is responding to the overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales. Currently, there are 87,505 prisoners on 88,956 usable places. According to PA, approximately 700 places for men are still available.
Risk of Justice System Collapse
London's Police Chief Mark Rowley warned that in the worst-case scenario, there is a risk of a collapse of the Justice System. "The government is forced to make a quick decision to avoid this risk," Rowley told PA, according to ITV. The decision is not ideal, but the least bad option.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated this week that the situation is more alarming than anticipated. His Labour Party, a social democratic party, had won the parliamentary election a week ago and had replaced the conservative government. The conservatives, or Tories, had already shortened sentences due to the prison crisis.
The early release of thousands of prisoners in the United Kingdom is aimed at preventing the collapse of overcrowded prisons, as warned by Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood. Despite this, there's a looming crisis in the Justice System, according to London's Police Chief Mark Rowley, who underscores the potential risk of its collapse if no immediate action is taken. The United Kingdom's response to this prison crisis includes the reduction of the initial serving period of sentences, with offenders serving only 40% initially, rather than the previous 50%.
