The online debate has been sparked by a widely shared post claiming that the UK Government is releasing violent criminals, murderers, and rapists early. Another social media post suggests that people who have been convicted of manslaughter, knife crime, robbery, and sex crimes will also be released early. However, an evaluation of this claim reveals a more complex and nuanced story.
According to the UK Government, people convicted of sex offences and “serious violent offences resulting in sentences of four years or more” will be among those automatically excluded from a scheme that aims to release inmates earlier to free up some prison capacity. This claim is supported by evidence from the Ministry of Justice, which revealed that on July 12th, there were only hundreds of places left in the adult male prison estate.
UK Government’s Plan Excludes Violent and Sexual Offenders
To address this crisis, the Government has announced a plan to temporarily reduce the proportion of some sentences served in prison. Under this scheme, the minimum time served for some less serious offences will drop from 50 per cent to 40 per cent, with safeguards and exemptions in place to ensure public safety is maintained. The Government has emphasized that certain types of offenders will be excluded from this early release scheme, including those who have committed serious violent offences of four years or more, as well as those convicted of sex offences.
In addition to these exclusions, the Government has also announced that the early release of offenders who have committed domestic abuse-connected crimes will also be excluded. These measures aim to strike a balance between addressing the pressing issue of prison overcrowding and ensuring the safety of the public.
