Revealed: The prisoners who could be free men today under Labour’s early prison release – amid fears of spiralling gang violence, homelessness and agony for domestic abuse victims
A thug who told his ex girlfriend he was ‘enjoying’ attacking her and another who broke his partner’s jaw are among the prisoners who could be free men today under Labour’s early release scheme.
Inmates currently behind bars will be released after serving only 40 per cent of their sentence – the first time this has been lowered from the previous 50 per cent.
The deeply controversial move will be the largest release of prisoners in a decade, with some prisons in rural areas preparing to lay on coaches to transport freed criminals.
Among those set to walk free are Connar Shaw, from Rotherham, who will only serve 13 months of his 32-month prison sentence after strangling his partner and threatening to throw acid in her face during years of abuse.
Shane Riley, from Swansea, will be released after serving less than nine months for punching, kicking and headbutting his ex partner after she broke up with him on June 8, 2020.
Among the 1,700 set to walk free on Tuesday is Connar Shaw (pictured), who was sentenced to 32 months behinds bars after breaking his partner’s jaw, strangling her, and threatening to throw acid in her face
Shane Riley, who said he ‘enjoyed’ attacking his partner after she broke off their relationship will also be free after serving barely nine months of his sentence
Jordan Green, who was put behind bars after he pleaded guilty to robbery and dangerous driving in March, will also be released under the new scheme
Riley, who said he was ‘enjoying’ the abuse, was sentenced to 23 months for causing actual bodily harm, common assault, making threats to kill, and criminal damage. He will serve less than nine months.
Another offender who will taste freedom will be Jordan Green, who was put behind bars after he pleaded guilty to robbery and dangerous driving in March.
He was jailed for 27 months after an incident saw him approach a woman’s window in Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees and screech: ‘Get out of the f***ing car’
He proceeded to hurl her mobile phone out of his window as he sped off, which allowed her to take an image of the criminal.
Green, who was previously handed a prison sentence after he attacked his own mother, will only spend four months in jail.
Prison bosses are now having to ‘carefully choreograph’ the mass releases over fears of violent clashes between gang rivals, MailOnline understands.
Meanwhile, a rise in homelessness is also feared as some prisoners are released with nowhere to go.
A significant number of inmates at jails such as HMP Wandsworth and HMP Thameside in London are subject to ‘non-association’ orders preventing them from mixing with other inmates – usually members of rival gangs.
This means their releases will have to be staggered to avoid violence, a source told MailOnline.
They added that these releases were being done in small groups, but warned that any delays with getting prisoners to reception, recovering their property and arranging transport could lead to rivals being brought together by mistake.
Dame Diana Johnson, the policing minister, insisted plans would be put in place to avoid reoffending by domestic abusers and other high-risk criminals.
A significant number of inmates at jails such as HMP Wandsworth are subject to ‘non-association’ orders
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood during a visit to HMP Bedford in Harpur, Bedfordshire
She told Sky News: ‘There’s been a real trawl through to try and identify where their primary offence isn’t domestic abuse, we know there’s a history, and that’s where the steps have been put in to protect as best we can.
‘Because we know, unfortunately, domestic abuse is so prevalent amongst the offending community.’
Asked by the BBC how many prisoners were due to be released today, she said: ‘I understand it’s in the region of about 1,700.’
A senior government source warned yesterday that a high proportion of those released would be domestic abusers.
Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, warned that about a third of domestic abuse survivors were likely unaware that their perpetrators are due to set free.
She told the Times that victims were ‘paying the price’ for Britain’s overcrowded prisons, warning that survivors are at risk of their attackers getting in contact with them, with them likely knowing their workplace and home address.
‘We must ensure that victims aren’t lost in the shuffle of the changes that are being made in the prison release schemes and the perception of justice and fairness.
‘Victims of domestic abuse are very focused on those release dates, it causes them sleepless nights, they will change so much of their daily activities knowing that their perpetrator is being released, the uncertainty of not knowing if that person will comply with licensing conditions and of release.
Criminals exempt from the new early release scheme include those with sentences for sexual and violent offences of over four years (stock image)
‘This is incredibly stressful in the normal situation so for those dates to change unexpectedly or without them knowing that is a huge consequence for them to pay.’
Newly appointed Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said measures have been taken to reduce the number of domestic offenders being freed by excluding those serving time for coercive control, stalking, harassment and breach of a restraining or non-molestation order.
But prisoners convicted of broader offences like assault or criminal damage, which are not specific to domestic violence, are not excluded.
Official figures showed there were 88,521 people behind bars on Friday, 171 more than the previous record set at the end of last week.
The prison population has now risen by 1,025 people over the past four weeks and now stands at its highest level since weekly population data was first published in 2011.
Crimes exempt from the new early release scheme include prisoners sentences for sexual and violent offences of over four years.
The Justice Secretary said she has been told that the emergency early release plan could prevent prisons running out of space within weeks.
The MOJ has said the move will give them an extra 18 months to allow more prison places to be freed up and allow for a wider review of sentencing to take place.