Summary
Senior police and security officials have expressed concerns about the government's plan to release some prisoners early to reduce overcrowding. They worry it might harm public safety and lead to more work for the police. The government claims it has addressed many of these concerns in the final proposals.
Key Facts
- Senior police and security leaders sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice about early prisoner release plans.
- The letter expressed concerns about public safety and the costs of electronic monitoring.
- Officials are worried about high-risk offenders potentially being released early.
- A government review suggested releasing some prisoners after serving a third of their sentence to ease overcrowding.
- Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood supported most proposals but excluded early releases for the most serious criminals.
- Police leaders noted that the proposed changes could increase police workload.
- The government aims to build more prisons, adding 14,000 places by 2031.
- The Ministry of Justice stressed that dangerous offenders would not be eligible for early release.
