Early release mistakes criticised

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Opposition ministers have criticised the early release from prison of two criminals who had committed serious violent attacks.

Officials wrongly freed six criminals under the scheme to ease the jail overcrowding crisis, figures show.

The End of Custody Licence measures were intended only for convicts imprisoned for less serious offences.

The statistics released by the Ministry of Justice show nearly 40,000 offenders were released early since last summer.

The Ministry of Justice said two men guilty of serious violent attacks, a category which includes murder and manslaughter, were wrongly released last month.

They would not say for what offence they had been jailed, but said one had committed a "non serious" offence while free. Both were later returned to custody.

'Alarming'

In further contravention of the rules, a man convicted of carrying a weapon during a burglary and two men given jail terms of longer than four years were released.

The statistics for September showed 2,745 prisoners were released, taking the total released since June last year to 39,406.

More than 1,300 have been returned to prison, many because they offended again, and more than 100 are still at large.

Liberal Democrat justice spokesman David Howarth said: "While alarming, this news is hardly surprising.

"The prison service is under enormous pressure due to the vast number of people in prison, which greatly increases the chance of appalling mistakes like this."

Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said: "Only days ago we found out that early release prisoners have allegedly committed three murders when they should have been behind bars.

"Now we learn that almost a hundred early release prisoners are still on the run. How bad does this policy have to get before ministers put public safety first and scrap it?"

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "Ministers have said they will end ECL when there is sufficient capacity to do so.

"We are working extremely hard, with the fastest-ever creation of prison spaces, and when they judge it is safe, it will be phased out."