UK Sentencing Reform: Early Release After One Third

The UK government plans to introduce major sentencing reforms in England and Wales that will allow most prisoners to be released after serving a third of their sentence if they maintain good behaviour and participate in rehabilitation programs. The changes, recommended by former justice secretary David Gauke following an independent review, aim to tackle severe prison overcrowding and will replace the current automatic early release system at 40%. Under the new model, offenders will serve the initial portion of their sentence in jail, then transition to strict house arrest with electronic tagging, and finally be supervised in the community. The reforms exclude those convicted of sex crimes, terrorism, and serious violent offenses, but will apply to most other offenders, including some violent criminals, fraudsters, and drug dealers. Prisoners who fail to meet conditions or breach release terms risk serving longer sentences up to the court-imposed maximum. The Ministry of Justice has warned that without intervention, prisons could reach full capacity within a year.