How full is YOUR native jail?
An estimated 5,700 prisoners will be released early as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defends the controversial policy.
Sir Keir, who is in the United States, blasted the inaction of the previous government for leaving the criminal justice system in such a perilous situation.
Critics have said the new Labour government is determined to lock up right wing protesters involved in anti-immigrant protesters.
Sir Keir lashed out at former prime minister Rishi Sunak in the Commons, repeating claims he had no choice but to cut the amount of time prisoners would serve behind bars amid urgent efforts to tackle the jail overcrowding crisis.
His comments were in response to accusations from Reform UK’s leader that Sir Keir was presiding over a two-tier justice system.
One inmate was arrested by police moments after he was released from jail.
One inmate, pictured, was arrested by police moments after he was released from prison
One of the most serious offenders to be released early is Lawson Natty who supplied a machete used to kill 14-year-old Gordon Gault in Newcastle in November 2022
Gordon died in hospital six days after he was attacked with a blade in an ongoing feud
Gordon’s mother, Dionne Barrett, has described herself as ‘sickened’ by the news
Nigel Farage described ‘some extraordinary celebratory scenes outside Britain’s prisons, where in some cases serious career criminals were released’ after pictures emerged of an inmate being sprayed with frothing bottles of bubbly by friends as they left jail.
Tuesday’s exodus of 1,700 prisoners from jails across England and Wales came after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans in July to temporarily cut the proportion of sentences which inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40% as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said overcrowding had pushed jails to the ‘point of collapse’.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Farage said: ‘This to make way for, yes, rioters, but equally those who have said unpleasant things on Facebook and elsewhere on social media.
‘Does the Prime Minister understand there is a growing feeling of anger in this country that we are living through two-tier policing and a two-tier justice system?’
Sir Keir hit back, telling MPs: ‘I’m angry to be put in a position of having to release people who should be in prison because the last government broke the prison system.
‘The prime minister was repeatedly warned that he had to adopt the scheme that we put in place.’
Referring to reports on Alex Chalk’s pleas to enact the scheme when in post, he said the former justice secretary ‘said if we don’t do it we will have to get down on our knees and pray’.
Police chiefs also ‘made it absolutely clear’ to Mr Sunak before the election that he ‘needed to take action’, he said – in reference to a letter police chiefs sent him in June urging him to put the plan in motion immediately as prison overcrowding was hampering officers’ ability to do their jobs.
Sir Keir Starmer has been criticised over the early release scheme although he placed the blame on the previous government
‘That’s how bad it was. He (Mr Sunak) delayed and increased the risks,’ Sir Keir added.
Prisons watchdog Charlie Taylor has warned the scheme is ‘risky’ and it was ‘inevitable’ some prisoners released early would reoffend and end up back behind bars.
Some who are homeless on release could be temporarily placed in taxpayer-funded budget hotels if there is not enough space in bail hostels and other community accommodation typically used for offenders.
The number freed is in addition to the around 1,000 inmates normally released each week.
