Jenrick attacks Labour prison releases as first wave approaches

Robert Jenrick has attacked the government’s plans to release prisoners earlier, arguing that overcrowding should not be addressed by allowing offenders to leave prison before the end of their sentences.

The Reform UK treasury spokesman said he would rather see “three, four or five” prisoners housed in a cell than have offenders released into the community.

The comments came ahead of the first tranche of releases under the government’s new progression model, which is due to begin in October. Official estimates indicate that about 700 prisoners are expected to be released on the first day of the initial tranche, with the programme then expanding through subsequent stages.

Jenrick told GB News: “I would have kept them in jail. I don’t care if there are two, three, four or five prisoners in each cell, don’t put these people on our streets.”

“We know that many of them re-offend, we know that the tags don’t work, that the probation service is overstretched and doesn’t have the capacity to follow them and to ensure that they don’t pose a danger to the public.”

The government says the changes are designed to address pressure on prison capacity while maintaining supervision in the community. Under the new model, eligible offenders will spend at least one-third of their sentence in custody, while those convicted of more serious offences will generally serve at least half in prison. Certain serious offences, including rape and unlawful killing, have been excluded from the changes.

The Ministry of Justice has also introduced a presumption that offenders will be electronically tagged on release, subject to exceptions where tagging is unsuitable or inappropriate.

Jenrick said a Reform UK government would seek to remove foreign prisoners from Britain and expand the prison estate.

The Ministry of Justice said: “Public protection is our priority and we’re imposing the toughest-ever controls on offenders.”

It said £100 million was being invested in expanding electronic monitoring, alongside up to £700 million for probation and community services by 2028-29. The government is also recruiting additional probation officers as part of the expansion.