Thousands of Prisoners Set for Early Release in England and Wales

(Prisoners Released. Photo by Yahoo News U.K.)

Hundreds of prisoners across England and Wales are expected to walk free on Thursday under an expanded early release scheme, amid fears that many could end up homeless and that the probation system may not cope.

About 2,000 offenders, including domestic abusers and violent criminals, are set for release over the next month.

Another 3,000 will be freed in phases over the following year to ease overcrowding in prisons.

The first target of 6,000 was cut after Prime Minister Keir Starmer stepped in.

Probation officers warn that a shortage of housing could push some former inmates onto the streets, even though evidence shows that having a place to live after prison helps cut reoffending.

A probation source told The Guardian the few places available are full and that some people may now be released straight onto the street.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the charity Nacro, warned that homelessness after prison could raise the chances of offenders going back inside.

The probation officers union Napo accused prison authorities of ignoring problems in the service, including staff shortages, heavy workloads and issues with electronic monitoring.

Its national chair, Ben Cockburn, called the situation absolute denial.

Under the 2026 Sentencing Act, eligible prisoners serving fixed-term sentences can now be released after serving one-third of their term instead of 40 percent.

Some offenders are excluded, including those convicted in child grooming gang cases, indecent a§§ault and mansla¥ghter.

The Ministry of Justice also plans to expand electronic tagging.

However, a recent watchdog report found that some offenders waited up to five months for monitoring devices, with only 55 percent of GPS and radio frequency tags fitted on schedule.