Keir Starmer considering shocking prison plans that could see 40,000 criminals released
Starmer called prisons in the UK an "obvious example" of a "broken" system as a record 88,225 people are currently incarcerated in England and Wales.
Keir Starmer is reportedly considering implementing new plans for prisons that could result in some convicts serving just 40 percent of the sentences and the early release of 40,000 offenders.
In a bid to tackle the overcrowding problem, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been advised to take on board the plans that could prevent prisons running out of space within mere weeks.
Analysis of Ministry of Justice figures shows that this would also give them an extra 18 months to free up more prisons and allow for a wider review of sentencing.
Starmer called prisons in the UK an "obvious example" of a "broken" system as a record 88,225 people are currently incarcerated in England and Wales.
Under the new rules, prisoners serving sentences with fixed end dates would be freed 40 to 43 percent of the way through their sentence instead of 50 percent.
Those not eligible for early release would be people in prison for sex crimes, violence, or terrorism, as well as those awaiting decisions by a parole board.
This would replaced the current 10-week early release scheme used by prisons at capacity and could put thousands of offenders back on the streets early, according to ministry figures.
Though Labour are said to be considering the proposal, a decision has not been made yet, but one is expected in the coming weeks.
The plan would allow enough time to refurbish olf prison cells, put more prison services online, and possibly replace some sentences under 12 months with suspended sentences.
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A source told The Telegraph: "It feels like the only measure that buys time because of the terrible inheritance left by the last government who didn’t fix the prisons crisis and allowed it to get into this state."
The early release scheme is backed by experts, the Prison Governors' Association, and the Prison Reform Trust - previously chaired by James Timpson, who was appointed Prisons Minister on Friday.
Timpson has called for the UK to adopt a prison system similar to the Netherlands, which more frequently hands out community sentences, taking the "politics out of sentencing".