PRT comment: First prison releases under new progression model

Commenting ahead of the first releases under the new progression model introduced by the Sentencing Act 2026, which begin on 1 October, Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

“The introduction of early release was absolutely necessary to head off the prospect of a capacity crisis once again engulfing our prison system. Although the introduction of exemptions may be politically understandable, it has disrupted the careful planning required to successfully implement these changes.

“It has also reduced the capacity savings the Sentencing Act was designed to deliver. This increases the likelihood of a capacity crisis re-emerging in the months and years ahead and a return to emergency release measures. This would be a poor outcome for victims, prisoners and the public.

“The raft of new licence conditions the government has introduced also risk putting a rocket booster under the record high recall population and piling pressure on an already overstretched probation service.”