Prison governors voice alarm at ‘revolving door’ of criminals released early – as minister defends Andy Burnham’s latest plan
Prison governors have raised alarm over the "revolving door" of criminals being released early, as ministers defend the latest change to a scheme aimed at easing overcrowding in England and Wales. Around 4,500 inmates are set to be released earlier than planned over the next ten months, and while Sir Keir Starmer altered the policy at the weekend to keep PC Andrew Harper's killers behind bars, critics warn the adjustment will still free hundreds of other dangerous offenders and add pressure on police tasked with monitoring them. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones admitted prison capacity would remain "very tight" despite the changes.
Governors told the BBC the measures were only short-term fixes and that additional cells would require more staff to supervise them, with some describing a cycle of offenders being released early only to reoffend or breach licence conditions and return to custody. Figures show a record 51,419 inmates were recalled to prison in the year to March, up 28% on the previous year, while 70,066 have been freed early since emergency measures began in September 2024. To exclude those convicted of unlawful killing, such as Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, ministers are freeing extra cell space by releasing prisoners held under now-abolished imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences, a move former minister Lord Timpson warned could see high-risk offenders released without proper licence supervision.
In short
- Governors warn early-release scheme creates a reoffending "revolving door"
- 4,500 more inmates to be freed early over next 10 months
- Policy tweaked to keep PC Harper's killers jailed, using IPP releases instead
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ministers can reasonably argue that with prisons close to capacity, some form of earlier release is unavoidable to prevent a total system collapse that would halt courts, policing and remand altogether; targeted adjustments, such as excluding killers like PC Harper's murderers while freeing cell space via abolished IPP sentences, represent a pragmatic attempt to balance public safety against the practical limits of the estate. They would say responsible governance means making difficult, incremental trade-offs now rather than allowing overcrowding to spiral into an even more dangerous and unmanageable crisis.
The case against
Critics, including prison governors, can reasonably argue that repeatedly releasing offenders early without first fixing supervision capacity creates a self-defeating cycle, evidenced by record recall numbers, that undermines both public confidence and offender rehabilitation. They would say true public protection requires investing in staff, licence monitoring and long-term capacity rather than relying on rolling early-release schemes, and that freeing IPP prisoners without robust oversight, as Lord Timpson warned, risks releasing high-risk individuals before the system can properly manage the risk they pose.
Explained simply
Prisons in England and Wales have struggled with overcrowding, leading the government to release some people before the end of their sentences. Those released early may remain under licence, which can require them to follow conditions and be monitored; breaking those conditions can lead to a return to prison.
Prison governors run individual prisons, while ministers set policy for the prison system. The current measures are intended to create space in prisons, but governors say that extra cells also need enough staff to supervise people in custody and support safe releases.
Some prisoners are serving indeterminate sentences for public protection, known as IPP sentences. These were abolished for new cases, but people sentenced under them can still be in prison; decisions about their release raise questions about risk, supervision and how to manage limited prison capacity.