Almost 40,000 inmates in England and Wales have been let out of prison under the government’s early release scheme to tackle overcrowding, according to new figures.
The urgent measure was introduced in September 2024 just days after the prison population hit a record high of 88,521.
And officials warned in May this year that male prisons were set to hit zero capacity by November.
The scheme means eligible inmates can be released after serving just 40% of their fixed-term sentence, rather than the previous requirement of 50%.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show 38,042 inmates were freed as of the end of this June.
Some 10,879 (28.6%) were serving sentences of six months or under, with a further 5,241 (13.8%) serving sentences of between six and 12 months.
Meanwhile, recalls are at an “historically high” level, the MoJ has said.
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There have been 11,041 recalls to custody in April to June 2025 of offenders who had breached the conditions of their release. This is an increase of 62% on the equivalent period in 2023, and a 13% rise on the same period in 2024.
The figures come as ministers have dealt with the fallout of a jail blunder after migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu was accidentally freed from prison instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.
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In an attempt to deal with the prison capacity crisis, new legislation was introduced last month in parliament.
The Sentencing Bill includes plans for a Texas-inspired earned release scheme, where inmates who show good behaviour could be freed earlier, while those who break the rules will serve longer prison time.
Tougher punishments within local communities are set to be imposed in order to replace prison sentences of a year or less.
These measures will include fines and new powers for judges to ban criminals from pubs, concerts and football matches.
Tens of thousands of offenders will also be tagged and monitored in the community as part of the reforms.
The legislation is due to come into force next year, and ministers have also vowed to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031.
