37 prisoners mistakenly released in early release scheme

A significant error in the government's early release scheme led to the wrongful liberation of 37 prisoners who had been incarcerated for breaching restraining orders. These individuals were mistakenly charged under the outdated Protection from Harassment Act 1997 instead of the current Sentencing Act 2020, which resulted in their sentences being incorrectly classified as eligible for early release. The Ministry of Justice has acknowledged this mistake and is taking steps to rectify the situation by ensuring that these prisoners serve the remainder of their sentences. The Ministry has confirmed that five of the released prisoners have not yet been returned to custody, while the others are being monitored. The government had previously implemented this early release policy to alleviate severe overcrowding in prisons, which had reached a critical point. Approximately 1,750 inmates were released under this scheme, which temporarily reduced the required time served from 50% to 40%. Despite efforts to prevent the early release of domestic abusers, the policy still allows for certain violent offenders to be released, raising concerns about public safety. The Ministry of Justice has stated that public safety remains a top priority, and they are working closely with law enforcement to ensure that those who were incorrectly released are returned to prison. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges and complications associated with the early release scheme, which has faced criticism for its implementation and oversight. The government is now under scrutiny to improve the accuracy of future releases and to ensure that dangerous offenders remain incarcerated.