United Kingdom Liberates Jailed Individuals from Overpopulated Penitentiaries Once More
Due to the overwhelming occupancy in UK prisons, approximately 1000 prisoners are granted early release again. As Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Minister, stated on Sky News, "Our prison system was teetering on the edge of collapse." The government has also brought up the idea of innovating criminal justice strategies to minimize prison sentences. This mission has been delegated to ex-Justice Minister David Gauke.
There was a "full halt" in the functioning of the justice system, reported a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer, who assumed office in early July, pins the blame for the justice system's predicament on the previous Conservative administration.
By September, over 1700 inmates had been granted early release. Soon after assuming office, the Labour Party announced early releases for prisoners serving brief sentences, excluding sex offenders. Now, prisoners can seek early release after serving 40% of their sentence, reduced from the previous 50%.
The British government is also contemplating the feasibility of alternative sentences, such as community service and employing monitoring technologies. For instance, real-time tracking of offenders under curfews could be carried out using specialized watches or apps.
The European Union expressed concern over the UK's prison overcrowding issue, urging for a comprehensive solution to avoid such instances in the future. The European Union's Justice Commissioner stressed the importance of ensuring humane prison conditions and effective rehabilitation programs.
