LONDON, Sept 26 (Askume) – Nearly three dozen prisoners were mistakenly released from jail under an early release scheme introduced by the British government to tackle overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales , the Justice Ministry said on Thursday.
About 1,750 prisoners were released this month under a government program that makes some inmates eligible for release after serving up to 40 percent of their sentences, up from 50 percent. Thousands more are expected to be freed.
Some of the offenders who were wrongly charged and sentenced under the old law were wrongly convicted and released, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday, confirming the Daily Mirror report.
“The convict has been under observation since his release and will return to jail soon,” the spokesperson said.
A total of 37 inmates jailed for violating restraining orders were mistakenly released, but most were returned to prison. Currently, five offenders have not been returned to prison.
The ministry said the charges against the 37 people were false under the old law and had been dismissed in court, meaning their convictions were not considered ineligible for the early release scheme.
Britain, which has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe , is in crisis due to a rising prison population caused by tough sentencing laws and long delays in the justice system.
After coming to power in July, Britain’s Labour government said prisons would be overflowing within a matter of weeks and that early releases would be necessary.
Inmates serving sentences of four years or more for serious violent crimes are excluded from the program.
