1,700 Prisoners to Be Released Early, Says Minister

Around 1,700 prisoners will be released early on Tuesday as part of the government’s plan to ease prison overcrowding. Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson told the BBC on Monday that probation services have been working to ensure that there are plans in place for those being released. “People are released on licence and can be recalled if they commit further offences. So there’s a whole range of things that are already in place to make sure that tomorrow goes as well as we can expect. But clearly, nobody wants to be doing this,” Johnson said. The early releases are part of a temporary government scheme aimed at tackling prison overcrowding. In the coming weeks, an estimated 5,500 inmates will be let out of jail early and will serve the rest of their sentences under strict licensing conditions....