First batch of prisoners released early with 1,750 offenders set to walk free

The offenders being freed were serving jail terms of up to five years (Picture: PA/SWNS)

The first prisoners to be free under the government’s early release scheme were spotted strolling out of jail this morning.

With some doing rock ‘n roll hand signs with a smile and others hiding their faces in hoodies, around 1,750 prisoners in England and Wales will be released today.

A group of inmates even popped champagne corks when they walked free from a jail in Nottingham.

Governors are unlocking the cell doors on top of the roughly 1,000 prisoners normally freed each week to cut overcrowding.

People spray sparkling wine over a man who walked out of Nottingham Prison (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)

Officials hope today’s releases will help free up prison spaces (Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Some people seemed a tad happier than others to have their jail cells unlocked (Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

John Price outside Nottingham Prison from where he was released this morning, four days early after being sentenced for a domestic-related incident (Picture: Tom Maddick/SWNS)

Last week prisons reached record highs of more than 88,500 – this means nearly all jails were at capacity.

Today’s releases are part of an emergency plan announced in July which will ee offenders serving sentences of fewer than five years released on licence after having spent 40% of their term in jail, rather than the usual 50%.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *