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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Early release for foreign inmates | Early release for foreign inmates |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Foreign prisoners are to be released early because of overcrowding in jails in England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice has announced. | |
| Justice minister David Hanson told the Commons foreign inmates would be eligible to be removed 270 days early, rather than the current 135 days. | Justice minister David Hanson told the Commons foreign inmates would be eligible to be removed 270 days early, rather than the current 135 days. |
| He said the scheme could make an "even greater contribution to removing criminals from our shores". | He said the scheme could make an "even greater contribution to removing criminals from our shores". |
| Last week, the prison population reached a record high of 81,918. | |
| Of those, 11,310 (14%) are foreign national inmates. | |
| BBC home affairs correspondent June Kelly said all foreign prisoners have to serve at least a quarter of their sentence before they are eligible for release. | BBC home affairs correspondent June Kelly said all foreign prisoners have to serve at least a quarter of their sentence before they are eligible for release. |
| She said those serving a life sentence would not be eligible and prisoners serving a term of four years or more for a sexual or violent offence would have to go before a parole board before being considered for release. | She said those serving a life sentence would not be eligible and prisoners serving a term of four years or more for a sexual or violent offence would have to go before a parole board before being considered for release. |
| The rise in the prison population has meant police cells are regularly used to handle the overspill. |