Prison population down by 1,500

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The prison population has dropped by 1,500 after the introduction of early release measures aimed at easing the overcrowding crisis.

The number of inmates in England and Wales went down during the week to 79,593 from an all-time high of 81,040.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said around 1,100 had been freed early on Friday 29 June, when the emergency measures first came into force.

Those eligible for early release include drug dealers and burglars.

This first wave of early releases means no offenders are being held in overspill cells in police stations or courts for the first time since April.

'Blip'

Mark Leech, editor of the Prisons Handbook, said numbers would soon rise again.

"I think it is a blip in what is an endless spiral in the prison population," he said.

"The reality is that many of those released in the last week will be finding themselves back in prison within a very short period of time because of breach of licence conditions and an overstretched probation service."

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "When new ministers are able to put in place proper provision for the 50,000 people a year who serve sentences of less than six months, then we will see the prison population drop back to a sensible level."

Under the early release scheme, offenders are being let out up to 18 days ahead of their scheduled release date and the measures will apply to 25,500 prisoners over the course of a year.

But inmates convicted of serious sexual or violent offences are excluded.