lets not forget the early release scheme was her invention
Handling of Prison Overcrowding and Early Release Schemes
Upon assuming office as Lord Chancellor in July 2024, Shabana Mahmood inherited a prison system operating at near-full capacity, with projections indicating exhaustion of available spaces by early August absent intervention.[109] She described the situation as verging on "total collapse," warning that continued operation without relief would necessitate suspending arrests, halting trials, and risking a broader breakdown in law and order.[110] To avert this, Mahmood announced an emergency scheme on July 12, 2024, scrapping a prior Conservative pilot and introducing a structured early release mechanism effective from September 10, 2024, whereby eligible prisoners serving determinate sentences could qualify for automatic release after 40% of their term rather than the standard 50%.[110] [39] This applied initially to low- and medium-risk offenders, excluding those convicted of serious violent, sexual, or terrorism-related crimes, though subsequent adjustments incorporated some serious cases to manage surging numbers.[111] The policy released over 3,000 prisoners between September and October 2024, creating breathing room equivalent to several thousand spaces when combined with recruitment of at least 1,000 additional probation officers to oversee community supervision.[40] [39] Mahmood's administration stabilized immediate operational pressures, enabling courts and police to sustain activities without interruption and facilitating reviews into sentencing equity, such as disparities in short-term custody outcomes. Complementary measures included a £4.7 billion investment announced in May 2025 for expanded facilities, though Mahmood emphasized that construction alone could not resolve underlying drivers like recidivism-fueling factors in short sentences.[42] These steps contrasted with the preceding Conservative government's ad hoc releases of over 10,000 prisoners up to 70 days early from October 2023, which Mahmood critiqued as insufficiently targeted, though both approaches underscored chronic underinvestment in capacity relative to remand and sentencing trends.[112]
