England and Wales begin expanded early-release scheme

England and Wales began a wider early-release scheme on October 1, with about 700 prisoners expected to leave custody in the first wave as the government seeks to ease pressure on prison capacity. The releases mark the start of expanded rules under the Sentencing Act 2026, which change when some prisoners serving fixed-term sentences can be freed. Under the new rules, some eligible prisoners can be released after serving one-third of their custodial sentence, rather than the previous 40 or 50 per cent. Others who would previously have been released after serving two-thirds may, in some circumstances, become eligible after half. Those released remain on licence and under supervision for the rest of their sentences, according to the reports. The first-wave figure is an estimate; the material provided does not establish how many people were actually released on October 1. Further releases are expected in stages, but the total scale is uncertain. Reports gave differing estimates and time periods, including up to 5,000 prisoners over a year and an estimate of about 4,500 additional first-day releases through June.