Prisons in Britain run out of space, govt plans early releases

LONDON: The new Labour government in Britain has decided to release prisoners who have completed 40pc of their sentence in order to minimize pressure on the overcrowding prisons.

The decision has been taken by the government as the prisons are reported to be full to their capacity with some of the old buildings crumbling.

According to a report, there is now room for keeping only about 700 more inmates in the prisons of England and Wales which will be filled in coming days. In England and Wales, the prison population stands at 87,505, close to the maximum capacity of 88,956.

The government has decided to release all those prisoners who have completed 40pc of their sentences in order to create space for new prisoners and minimize the load on the facilities. 

Officials said that under the decision, the release of the prisoners will start in September and in the first phase about 5,000 prisoners will be set free. However, prisoners convicted of serious crimes will not be released.

Britain’s minister Shabana Mahmood said that if the overcrowding issue in the jails was not tackled now, the criminal justice system will collapse. She said that the government will review the plan after 18 months.