in World News UK Gov’t to Release Some 5,500 Prisoners Early to Free Space Amid Sentencing of Rioters
by Kurt Zindulka
The emergency Operation Early Dawn measure to clear prison space amid the sentencing of anti-migration rioters, protesters, and social media posters will reportedly see at least 5,500 criminals released early by the autumn.
The left-wing Labour Party government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer enacted emergency measures on Monday to free up prison cells in England as over 1,000 people have been arrested in connection to the outbreak of violence, or for posts on social media, in the UK following the mass stabbing at a children’s dance party in Southport last month allegedly by a second-generation Rwandan migrant teen.
According to Sky News, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is reportedly planning to cut the mandatory time behind bars before parole by 40 to 50 per cent for certain criminals. This would result in 5,500 prisoners being released back on the streets early in September and October.
The measures will specifically target prisons in the Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Manchester, Merseyside, the North East, and Yorkshire regions. In total, the prison system capacity of England and Wales currently stands at 89,191, however, as of Friday 87,893 slots were occupied, the BBC reports.
The government has claimed that those convicted of domestic abuse, sexual offences, terrorism, and some violent offences will not be eligible for early release. Those involved in the recent riots will also not be eligible.