700 prisoners released early as expanded programme begins across England and Wales

Around 700 prisoners will walk free today in the first wave of the government’s expanded early release programme designed to free up spaces in jails.

A prisoner leaving HMP Durham said: “Justice system, what justice system? Thank you Andy Burnham” as he walked free from jail early.

Prisoners have been seen leaving HMP Cardiff. One man, when asked if he said a message for the Prime Minister, he said: “Thank you very much and don’t get me back here again bro.”

Former inmate Dean, who was released from HMP Forest Bank said the prison was "buzzing" this morning".

"There’s some big people in there," he said. "And they’ve got years off."

One man, who refused to give his name, told said he has been released early after spending just “eight days” in prison for “breach of my conditional sentence”.

Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said the government would "pay the price for the decision" which he claimed would encourage more illegal activity.

The former adviser to Theresa May said: “Today’s releases are an insult to victims, a danger to the public, and will only encourage more lawbreaking from criminals who know they have a ticket out of prison.

"Labour say they have no choice but to release prisoners early, but we know they don’t believe in prison.

"It is their decision to release vile criminals including abusers, historic child sex offenders and human traffickers – but it is the public who will pay the price."

Prisoners to be released in phases

• From today: 700 offenders serving up to 19 months
• From 13 October: 650 prisoners who have been serving sentences of between 19 months and two years and five months
• From 10 November: 650 offenders serving up to three years and two months
• From 8 December: 550 offenders serving up to four years and three months
• From 12 January: 600 offenders serving up to five years and nine months
• From 9 February: 500 offenders serving up to seven years and six months
• From 9 March: 200 offenders serving up to nine years
• From 13 April: 200 offenders serving up to 10 years
• From 11 May: 250 offenders serving up to 12 years
• From 9 June: 250 offenders serving more than 12 years

It is the latest in a series of early release schemes, including under the Conservative government and Sir Keir Starmer.

Under changes in the Sentencing Act, some 5,000 offenders are set to be let out of prison after serving a third of their sentence – rather than half – in a bid to ease prison overcrowding.

Prisoners serving longer sentences of four years or more would be eligible for release at the halfway point of their term, rather than at two-thirds as had previously been the case.

Rapists, child sex offenders and groomers were banned from eligibility under the scheme in July this year after a public outcry, which led to its implementation being delayed until October.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said offenders would be monitored under the “toughest supervision in British history”.

It comes alongside the “biggest-ever” expansion of electronic monitoring, and a ban for offenders from pubs, clubs and public events.

It came as the Victims Commissioner warned the early release scheme may not be workable as it comes into force. Claire Waxman said the Government’s confidence “is not yet matched by the reality on the ground”.

Ms Waxman said: “Victims and the public have been repeatedly assured that robust safeguards are in place and that those released will face the toughest supervision ever imposed on offenders in the community. Those are significant claims.

“As Victims’ Commissioner, my concern is that the confidence being projected by government is not yet matched by the reality on the ground.

“Bold assertions in press releases are no substitute for effective planning, robust preparation and consistent delivery. All three have been in short supply.”

Ben Cockburn, national chairman of Napo (National Association of Probation Officers) said his membership was already under strain, with workers balloting for industrial action in October.

Mr Cockburn said: “There seems to be absolute denial in the leadership of (His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service) as to just how bad a state the probation service is in.

“We have massive staff shortages, unsustainable and dangerously high workloads and this week we will hear again that electronic monitoring is failing to deliver."

The plan to free up capacity in the overcrowded male prison estate comes as figures show the number of people behind bars has jumped by more than 1,700 in the past three months, from 85,761 to 87,499.

Some 5,000 prisoners are scheduled to be released in stages over the next year.

That number is down from 6,000, after ministers intervened to exempt rapists and the most serious child sex offenders.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Alex Norris said: “Today we are introducing the toughest-ever range of tools to control prison leavers and better protect the public.

“We understand the anxiety victims face ahead of offenders’ release dates, but the greatest danger to victims would be prisons running out of cells for dangerous criminals which was the crisis this government inherited.

“Our plan will make sure this never happens again by building 14,000 prison places while subjecting offenders to the toughest-ever controls – leaving them nowhere to hide and under no doubt that we are watching them.”