Sir Keir Starmer does not rule out 20,000 prisoners being released early
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Sir Keir Starmer has not ruled out the possibility of releasing 20,000 prisoners early in order to alleviate pressure on the justice system. The government is considering reducing the minimum portion of a sentence that criminals have to serve, potentially allowing prisoners to serve only 40% of their sentences instead of the current 50%. This could result in the release of up to 20,000 prisoners over a period of several months. Sir Keir Starmer described the state of the criminal justice system as a 'much worse problem' than he anticipated and criticized the previous government for its handling of the issue. The capacity issues in prisons led to an early release scheme being implemented before the general election, allowing for the release of 'high-risk' offenders. The early release scheme initially began in October and was extended in March, allowing prisoners serving less than four years to be released two months early. Alex Chalk, the previous Conservative justice secretary, suggested that Rishi Sunak, the current chancellor, may have opposed further early releases due to concerns about getting the policy approved by MPs.

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https://news.sky.com/story/sir-keir-starmer-does-not-rule-out-20-000-prisoners-being-released-early-13176700