Convicted criminals to flood Britain's streets today as first part of early release scheme begins

Most of those freed will walk out of prison without an ankle tag after it was revealed the Probation Service did not have enough monitoring devices.

Around 5,000 convicts will be released in stages throughout the next year.

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

Ministers have insisted the release of criminals is needed to prevent the collapse of the justice system, with a prison population of 87,499 on Monday, according to weekly data published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

The scheme also excludes members of child grooming gangs convicted of indecent assault and prisoners guilty of manslaughter - meaning Pc Andrew Harper's killers will not be freed.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris apologised to the mother of Pc Harper and victims who feared the release of their perpetrators.

But his shadow counterpart Nick Timothy warned the decision to release criminals would lead to even more crime on the nation's streets.

Mr Timothy 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."

The scheme's expansion came as a result of the 2026 Sentencing Act, which allows ministers to change the point certain prisoners can be freed from 40 per cent of a fixed-term sentence to a third.

Those released under the scheme will be limited to "restriction zones" which confines the movements of high-risk offenders to a certain area in the "biggest-ever" expansion of electronic monitoring.

Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman, has, however, cast doubts that the limitations of movement would be effective.

She 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, the national chairman of the National Association of Probation Officers, said his membership was already under strain, with workers balloting for industrial action in October.

He 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."

Thousands of criminals were freed under a similar scheme introduced by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in 2024.

Inmate Daniel Dowling-Brooks cheered "big up Keir Starmer" as he was picked up from His Majesty's Pleasure.

PICTURED: The 2024 early release of prisoners resulted in shocking pictures

PA

Mr 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."

The National Police Chiefs' Council said it understands "victims’ disappointment and fear" ahead of the start of the scheme, adding that it expects licence and probation management to be "robustly enforced and backed by consequences".

Assistant Chief Constable Jason Devonport, NPCC’s Criminal Justice Reform lead, said: "The criminal justice system must work as one to protect the public, prioritising prison spaces for those who pose the greatest risk, particularly to women and children.

"We know who is being released into our communities and will support Probation to enforce their sentences, using all available powers to protect victims. Offenders who do not comply with their conditions will continue to be arrested and put before the courts, and we will advocate for the toughest punishment possible, where appropriate.

"We need the public to keep reporting crime, including breaches of orders and conditions, so that we can take action."