More than 70,000 prisoners set free early under Labour scheme as pressure mounts on Burnham to halt future releases

More than 70,000 criminals have been freed from jail under Labour’s early release scheme.Some 9,958 offenders were let out during the first three months of this year, bringing the total since the scheme’s launch in September 2024 to 70,066, according to the new data.Under the programme – known as SDS40, which was introduced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in her previous role as justice secretary – criminals can be freed after serving just 40 per cent of the sentence handed down by a court.But the latest figures come amid a growing row over Labour’s plans for a new early release scheme which is due to launch in early September.It is set to replace SDS40 and will apply to a far wider range of criminals, including those convicted of sexual and serious violent offences.The majority of offenders are due to be released after serving just one third of the sentence handed down by a court, if they have shown good behaviour behind bars, while serious violent and sexual offenders will be freed at the halfway point.Prime Minister Andy Burnham last week paused the new scheme after the widow of murdered PC Andrew Harper blasted it as ‘deplorable’. A man leaves HMP Liverpool in September 2024 on the first day of Labour's scheme allowing criminals to be freed early. It is due to replaced by another, even more controversial scheme in a few weeks' timeLissie Harper – who married the officer one month before he was dragged to his death by a car – blasted Labour after it emerged that two of his killers would be eligible for early release under the new scheme.A number of victims of child sex grooming gangs have also voiced their opposition to the scheme after being told their abusers would benefit from early release.The existing SDS40 early release programme led to distasteful scenes in September 2024 when lags celebrated their freedom outside jails across England and Wales.Some were collected by friends in expensive sports cars or popped bottles of bubbly, while others vowed to be lifelong Labour voters as a result of their early release.The Ministry of Justice’s data covers from January to the end of March, when releases averaged 3,319 a month.It means that because a further four months have elapsed the true total number of releases is likely to be more than 83,000.Labour has repeatedly claimed the early releases are necessary to make space in overcrowded jails and has blamed the previous Conservative government for failing to tackle the problem while they were in power. However, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch this week urged Labour to bring in emergency legislation to prevent the first criminals being freed under the new early release scheme, which is due to take place on September 2.Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said: ‘We warned Labour early release would be a disaster.‘These figures represent countless victims who have been let down and denied justice.‘But now Labour are committed to releasing thousands of rapists, paedophiles and other serious criminals after serving as little as one third of their sentence.‘Labour must support our proposed emergency legislation to stop the release of dangerous offenders before it's too late, so we can keep them behind bars and the public safe.’Separate data published by the MoJ showed a rise in reoffending rates – and said the early release scheme may have played a role in more crimes being committed.It said the proven reoffending rate rose to 29.9 per cent for the period July to September 2024, up 1.9 per cent on the same period the previous year.The data therefore covered about three weeks after prison early releases began under Labour’s SDS40 scheme.During the three month period, criminals who carried out new offences – and were caught – committed an average of 5.11 crimes.An MoJ document said ‘various policy changes’ including SDS40 were introduced from autumn 2023, and added: ‘Some of these system changes may have impacts upon both reoffending rates and the offender mix of the cohort from around the 2023 cohorts onwards.‘It is not possible to isolate the impact of these individual policies on the reoffending rates.’About 87,000 offenders were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, or received a caution during July to September 2024, the data showed.Of these, about 26,000 went on to commit more than 133,000 proven reoffences during a 12-month follow-up period.Further official figures showed a surge in the number of ‘slap on the wrist’ punishments being handed out to offenders by the criminal justice system.The number of ‘out of court resolutions’ – such as a conditional caution from police or being told to apologise to their victims – increased 10 per cent year-on-year to 226,600 in the 12 months to March.A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Protecting the public will always be our top priority.'That’s why we took the decisive action needed to prevent the total collapse of our prison system after just 500 net prison places were added and 23 prisons closed in the 14 years before July 2024 – risking a breakdown of law and order.'Now we're making sure it never happens again.'We've already delivered 3,200 prison places as part of the largest prison building programme in over a century, alongside a £700million investment in probation to deliver tougher community punishment as well as record investment for victim services to ensure we can always lock up dangerous criminals and protect the public.'