The UK government has released over 26,000 inmates to manage the severe overcrowding in its prisons, as part of a program aimed at easing the burden on the penal system. The initiative, described by the Labour government as a necessary measure to prevent prisons from overflowing and maintain police efficiency, has resulted in the release of hundreds of inmates, including 248 who served 14 years or more for serious crimes. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the policy, with some released prisoners reportedly committing new crimes shortly after their release.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet has defended the decision, stating that the previous Conservative government left the prison system in a dire state. A Justice Ministry spokesman emphasized the need for ‘decisive action’ to address the crisis and mentioned plans to build 14,000 new prison places and reform sentencing to prevent overcrowding in the long term. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from Conservative figures such as Robert Jenrick, who called the number of freed criminals ‘shocking’ and blamed the policy for Britain’s perceived lawlessness. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage further criticized the government, warning that the UK is ‘facing societal collapse’ due to a 50% increase in crime since the 1990s.
The debate has intensified in the context of rising crime rates. According to Interior Ministry data, knife crime in England and Wales has surged by 87% over the past decade, with nearly 55,000 incidents reported in 2024 alone. Additionally, a recent study indicated that 39% of all mobile phone thefts across Europe now occur in the UK. While the Labour government insists that the release program is a temporary measure to alleviate the prison crisis, critics argue that it undermines public safety and reflects a broader failure to address the root causes of crime. The situation has sparked a national conversation about the balance between penal reform and law enforcement, with no clear consensus emerging in the wake of the policy’s implementation.