Most dangerous prisoners may be freed to ease crisis

SOME of the country’s most dangerous inmates including rapists could be let out early to ease overcrowding in jails, Labour’s sentencing tsar admits.

- By Michael Knowles Home Affairs Editor

Former Tory rebel David Gauke, who has been brought in by Labour to review sentencing as prisons near capacity, conceded that the proposals would be “controversial”.

But he said: “Those serving relatively long sentences will have to be released sooner if we are serious about not exceeding capacity. We have run out of space.”

Terminally ill offenders could also be released earlier under the proposals.

The former justice secretary, who lost the Tory whip in 2019 after voting against Boris Johnson’s government in the battle over Brexit, added: “Almost any proposals that we make in this area...