Labour has freed nearly 50,000 criminals from jail early under its soft justice programme.
New figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) showed 48,931 offenders were let out of prison onto the streets in the scheme’s first year.
The astonishing number covered releases under the programme – launched by then justice secretary Shabana Mahmood – which allows criminals to be freed after serving just 40 per cent of a sentence handed down by a court.
The latest total covers prisoners released from its launch on September 10, 2024, to the end of September last year.
With releases averaging more than 3,600 a month it means the true figure to have been freed so far is likely to be more than 60,000.
The scheme led to distasteful scenes of lags popping champagne corks outside prison gates, as some vowed to be life-long Labour voters as a result of being freed early.
Some freed inmates committed new offences within hours.
The programme was launched to free up space in the jails, with Ms Mahmood claiming the justice system would grind to a halt if nothing was done.
People spray sparkling wine over a man who walked out of Nottingham Prison on September 10, 2024 – the day the early release scheme came into effect
On the first day of Labour’s scheme in September 2024, lags released early were seen celebrating outside jails. Pictured: A man celebrates as he is released from HMP Wandsworth
More than 1,200 serious criminals who were sentenced to more than a decade in jail have now been released early by Labour.
The MoJ data showed 409 of those freed so far had been handed sentences of 14 years or more, while 840 had been ordered to serve between 10 and 14 years.
Under Labour’s scheme, a criminal given 14 years by a court will serve just five and a half years.
A former prisoner celebrates his early release with friends who picked him up in a Lamborghini
Those jailed for sex crimes, terrorism and serious violent crimes carrying more than four years in jail are excluded from the early release terms.
But violent offenders sentenced to less than four years can be freed early, including killers convicted of manslaughter.
A previous scheme introduced by the former Tory government – letting inmates out up to 70 days early – led to 13,325 offenders being freed over 11 months, one third of the rate being let out by Labour.
Labour passed new legislation earlier this month that will introduce permanent ‘soft justice’ changes to the way criminals are punished.
The new Sentencing Act will scrap most jail terms of under 12 months and allow most criminals to be freed after serving just 30 per cent of their sentence.
Justice Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood at Labour party conference in Liverpool in September
Criminals convicted of serious violence or sex offences would be freed after half their term, rather than the current three-quarters point.
After introducing the early release scheme Ms Mahmood was moved to the Home Office where she is responsible for ensuring police are catching criminals, who are then let out of jail by her former department.
The early release scheme is now overseen by Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy.
