The United Kingdom’s socialist Labour Party government has freed nearly 50,000 criminals from prison early under a controversial “soft justice” early-release program, according to newly released government figures.
Data from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show 48,931 offenders were released from prison during the scheme’s first year.
The program allows inmates to be freed after serving just 40 percent of the sentence imposed by a court.
The releases stem from a policy launched by then-Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and cover prisoners freed between September 10, 2024, and the end of September 2025.
With releases averaging more than 3,600 prisoners per month, the true number freed under the scheme is now likely above 60,000, according to the data.
The program has drawn sharp criticism after scenes emerged of inmates celebrating their early release outside prison gates.
Some crooks were seen drinking champagne while one former jailbird was seen being picked up outside the prison gates in a Lamborghini.
Many of the convicts reportedly vowed to become lifelong Labour voters as a result.
In several cases, newly released offenders committed further crimes within hours.
Labour introduced the policy to ease overcrowding in Britain’s prisons, with Mahmood warning at the time that the justice system would “grind to a halt” without emergency measures.
MoJ figures show the scheme has also applied to serious offenders.
More than 1,200 criminals sentenced to more than a decade in prison have already been released early.
Of those, 409 were serving sentences of 14 years or more, while 840 had received terms of between 10 and 14 years.
Under the policy, an offender sentenced to 14 years can be released after just five and a half years behind bars.
Prisoners convicted of sex offenses, terrorism, or the most serious violent crimes carrying sentences above four years are excluded from the early-release terms.
However, violent offenders sentenced to less than four years, including those convicted of manslaughter, remain eligible.
By comparison, an earlier early-release scheme introduced by the former Conservative government, which allowed prisoners to be freed up to 70 days early, resulted in 13,325 releases over 11 months, roughly one-third the rate of releases now taking place under Labour.
Labour moved to entrench the approach earlier this month by passing new legislation introducing permanent “soft justice” reforms.
The new Sentencing Act scraps most prison terms under 12 months and allows most offenders to be released after serving just 30 percent of their sentence.
Under the legislation, criminals convicted of serious violence or sex offenses would be freed after serving half their sentence, rather than the current three-quarters requirement.
After launching the early-release program, Mahmood was transferred to the Home Office, where she is now responsible for overseeing policing and criminal enforcement, even as offenders continue to be released early by her former department.
Responsibility for the early-release scheme now sits with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who also serves as Justice Secretary.
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