650 Prisoners Released Early In England And Wales Under Jail Scheme 2026

Key Points

• Approximately 650 prisoners will be granted early release from the prisons in England and Wales on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.
• The early release of prisoners is the second phase of a programme by the government aimed at easing the pressure in the overcrowded prison population.
• Offenders who have served terms of less than two and a half years will now serve only one third of the prison term as opposed to half as was previously the case.
• During the first phase of the program on 1 October, around 700 prisoners were released, with all of them serving terms of less than 19 months.
• The whole programme is projected to free around 5,000 prisoners in phases, with the last batch of prisoners including some offenders who served more than 12 years being released by next June.
• The initial estimate of freeing around 6,000 prisoners was revised downwards after the government excluded rapists, the worst offenders of child sex offenders and those offenders who were convicted for manslaughter.
• However, some of the prisoners freed during the first wave of offenders have already been remanded back in prison following the commission of new offences.

Wales (Wales Times) October 13, 2026 – Around 650 prisoners are being released early from prisons across England and Wales as the government’s early release scheme enters its second phase. The move is part of ministers’ response to severe pressure on prison capacity.

As reported by the BBC, the second tranche includes offenders serving sentences of up to two and a half years. Under the scheme, eligible prisoners can leave custody after serving one-third of their sentence, rather than the previous halfway point, and complete the remainder under licence in the community.

The Anadolu Agency, citing the BBC, reported that the releases follow about 700 early releases on 1 October. Those prisoners had all been serving sentences of less than 19 months.

The government says the staged approach is designed to manage demand on prisons while maintaining supervision arrangements for people released early. The Standard reported that some inmates serving standard determinate sentences will be released earlier than previously planned and will serve the rest of their sentence on licence in the community.

How does the early release scheme work?

The scheme changes the point at which certain eligible prisoners move from custody into supervised release. Instead of serving half of a fixed-term sentence in prison before automatic release, qualifying offenders may be released after serving one-third of their custodial term.

The BBC reported that the second phase covers prisoners serving between 19 months and two years and five months. It said governors would begin releasing this group on 13 October.

The programme is being rolled out in stages. The BBC reported that the final stage is expected to include eligible prisoners serving more than 12 years, with releases continuing until June next year.

The Times reported that the second tranche includes prisoners serving between 18 months and two and a half years for a range of offences. It also reported that offenders will be released in batches, with increasingly longer sentences included as the programme progresses.

Who is excluded from early release?

Not all prisoners are eligible. The BBC reported that the government intervened to exclude rapists and the most serious child sex offenders from the scheme. It also said people convicted of manslaughter are excluded, including the killers of PC Andrew Harper, who was fatally injured while on duty in 2019.

The BBC further reported that offenders connected with child grooming gangs who were convicted of indecent assault are also not eligible for early release.

These exclusions reduced the expected number of releases. The BBC reported that around 5,000 inmates are now set to be released under the programme, down from an earlier estimate of 6,000.

The exclusion of certain serious offences has been a central part of the government’s effort to limit the scheme’s impact on victims and public confidence. However, reporting by ITV News indicated that some people released under the first wave may still have convictions involving violence, domestic abuse or stalking.

What happened in the first phase?

The first phase took place on 1 October, when about 700 prisoners were released early. The BBC reported that all of those prisoners had been serving sentences of less than 19 months.

The Anadolu Agency reported that the first wave was followed by the second phase on 13 October, involving approximately 650 prisoners.

The scale of the programme is substantial. The BBC reported that around 2,550 prisoners were due to be released by the end of the year under the plan, while roughly 4,500 were expected to be released by next summer.

There have already been signs of difficulty in monitoring released prisoners. ITV News reported that a number of prisoners released during the first wave had returned to custody after reoffending or breaking parole conditions.

The BBC also reported that several individuals released during the initial phase had already found themselves back in custody.

Why is prison overcrowding driving the policy?

The government has presented the scheme as a response to a prison population crisis. The Standard reported that ministers said overcrowding had left the justice system “on the brink”.

The BBC has previously reported that rising prisoner numbers and longer sentences have contributed to pressure on jail capacity. It reported that governments, including the current administration, have used early release measures to manage that pressure.

Earlier measures had already reduced the proportion of a sentence served in custody. The BBC reported that an earlier scheme, introduced in September 2024, allowed eligible prisoners to be released after serving 40% of their sentence rather than half.

The latest scheme goes further by moving the release point for eligible prisoners to one-third of their sentence. The BBC reported that this applies to prisoners who would otherwise have expected to serve half their term in prison and half in the community on licence.

What concerns have been raised?

The scheme has attracted criticism from victims’ representatives and some politicians. The Standard described the policy as controversial and reported concerns about reoffending as the second wave began.

ITV News reported that some of those released early will have served only a third of their sentence, including stalkers, domestic abusers and violent offenders.

The BBC previously reported the accounts of three domestic abuse victims who said they feared for their safety after being told their abusive former partners would be released early.

Those concerns have shaped political scrutiny of the policy. The BBC reported that Nick Timothy was due to ask the Secretary of State for Justice to make a statement on the early release scheme in the Commons.

The government’s position, as reflected in coverage by the Standard, is that the releases are necessary to prevent prisons from becoming overcrowded beyond safe operational limits.

How many prisoners will be released overall?

The overall number has changed as eligibility rules have been tightened. The BBC reported that around 5,000 prisoners are now expected to be released under the programme, compared with an earlier estimate of 6,000.

The Anadolu Agency reported that the government plans to release around 5,000 prisoners in stages, with the process extending to June next year for those serving sentences of more than 12 years.

The Daily Mail reported that the scheme is expected to free up to 50,000 prisoners a year. That figure refers to the broader operation of the release framework, rather than the roughly 5,000 prisoners covered by the current staged early-release programme.

The distinction matters: the current second wave involves about 650 prisoners, while the wider programme involves thousands of releases spread across several months.

Where are the releases taking place?

The releases are taking place across prisons in England and Wales. Local reporting illustrates how the national policy is being implemented at individual establishments.

The Northamptonshire Telegraph reported that up to 47 prisoners were released early from HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough on Tuesday. It described this as the second tranche of releases that month.

The BBC reported that, if the first-phase releases had been spread evenly across all jails, it would have amounted to around six prisoners per prison.

That indicates that the practical effect will vary considerably by region and establishment, depending on prison populations, sentence lengths and eligibility.

What happens after release?

Prisoners released under the scheme do not simply leave the justice system. The Standard reported that they complete the remainder of their sentence on licence in the community.

A licence can include conditions imposed by the authorities, and breaches can result in a return to prison. ITV News reported that some people released in the first wave had already been recalled after reoffending or breaking parole conditions.

The BBC reported that prison recalls in England and Wales had risen by 28%, according to figures published in July. It said the increase followed the introduction of an earlier early-release scheme in September 2024.

Those figures underline the operational challenge facing probation and prison services: managing a larger supervised population in the community while responding quickly when licence conditions are breached.

Background of the development

The early release policy has developed through several stages. The BBC reported that an earlier scheme, introduced in September 2024, allowed eligible prisoners to leave prison after serving 40% of their sentence rather than half. By March 2026, 70,066 people had been released under that scheme.

The current one-third release point was linked to the Sentencing Act 2026. The Times reported that, under that legislation, certain offenders sentenced to a fixed jail term will spend two-thirds of their sentence being supervised in the community.

The BBC reported that the Sentencing Act release scheme had originally been due to come into force on 2 September, but was paused by Prime Minister Andy Burnham following criticism from survivors and victims’ families.

The government subsequently adjusted the policy to exclude more serious offenders. The BBC reported that more serious offenders were excluded from eligibility, although it noted that some people convicted of manslaughter may still have been eligible at an earlier stage of the policy’s development.

The current programme began on 1 October with about 700 releases. The second phase began on 13 October with around 650 further releases, and further tranches are scheduled until June next year.

How could this affect victims, communities and prisons?

For victims, particularly those affected by domestic abuse, stalking or violence, the immediate effect may be increased anxiety about an offender’s earlier return to the community. ITV News reported that some early releases include people convicted of stalking, domestic abuse and violent offences.

For local communities, the policy may increase demand on probation services, housing support, substance-misuse services and police monitoring. The reported recalls of first-wave prisoners show that supervision failures can lead quickly to further custody.

For the prison system, the immediate aim is to create capacity. If the staged releases proceed as planned, the government expects around 5,000 prisoners to be released under the programme by June next year.

For former prisoners, earlier release may provide a shorter period in custody but a longer period under community supervision. The Standard reported that eligible offenders will complete the remainder of their sentence on licence.

The policy’s practical success is likely to depend on whether probation services can maintain effective supervision, whether licence breaches are acted upon promptly, and whether victims receive adequate notice and protection where releases involve offences against them. The available reporting indicates that those issues are already central to public and parliamentary scrutiny of the scheme.