Early release for prisoners opposed by half of voters

Half of the public oppose prisoners being released early from jail, with only one in five supportive of the policy, polling has found.

The survey by Savanta for The Telegraph also found that people were most likely to say that the Conservatives are to blame for overcrowding in the prison system.

Last week, the Ministry of Justice announced the extension of an early release scheme, meaning some prisoners will be freed up to 70 days early in England and Wales in order to alleviate pressure on the prison estate.

The scheme was first introduced in October and allowed for release up to 18 days early. That was increased to up to 60 days in March.

Violent offenders sentenced to less than four years in jail are eligible for the scheme, as are burglars, thieves, shoplifters and fraudsters serving any length of fixed-term sentence.

Sex offenders, convicted terrorists, category A prisoners, and all violent offenders serving four or more years are excluded.
Savanta interviewed 2,298 UK adults aged 18 and over between May 17 and May 19.

Asked if they supported the Government’s scheme to release some prisoners up to 70 days early in a bid to tackle overcrowding, 49 per cent said they opposed the policy, with 21 per cent in support. Twenty-two per cent said they neither supported nor opposed it, while 7 per cent answered “don’t know”.

Opposition was consistent among those who said they intend to vote Conservative (48 per cent), Labour (49 per cent) and Liberal Democrat (44 per cent), but significantly higher among those who intend to vote for Reform UK (68 per cent).

When asked who is most to blame for prison overcrowding, of the options tested, respondents were most likely to say the Conservative Party (29 per cent), followed by the courts (13 per cent), Labour (9 per cent), the prison service (9 per cent) and the civil service (4 per cent). A quarter (24 per cent) answered “don’t know”.

While Labour voters were twice as likely to say the Conservative Party (42 per cent) is most to blame compared to those who would vote Conservative (21 per cent), this was still the most selected option among Tory voters, narrowly beating the courts (19 per cent).

Chris Hopkins, the political research director at Savanta, said: “With a general election now announced, the Government’s plans for early prisoner release may well come into sharper focus.

“Voters of all major parties, including the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats all strongly dislike the government’s early release scheme – unity that is rare in British politics.

“Of particular concern for the Prime Minister with the recent confirmation that Reform UK will stand candidates in over 600 constituencies, is that his plans are most vociferously opposed by Reform voters, who he continues to leak votes to.

“The Conservative Party are by some distance the most likely to be blamed by the public for the prisons overcrowding crisis.”

Shabana Mahmood, Labour’s shadow justice secretary, said: “Our prison estate is at a tipping point, with criminals now being let out 70 days early because prisons are so full following 14 years of Tory mismanagement, letting reoffending run rife.

“This scheme has been mired in secrecy, with no transparency or proper planning. It’s no wonder the public have serious concerns.”

The Tories declined to comment.