Early release prisoners re-offend

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A further 18 offenders are on the run after failing to meet terms of the emergency measures, such as failing to report to their probation officer.

Criminals are supposed to be let out of jail 18 days early but one was released 25 days early because of a mix-up, it emerged. Opposition politicians condemned the situation as "shambolic". Six criminals committed a total of eight new crimes after being let out.

Two other offenders are back in custody after being freed "without appropriate authorisation".

The Ministry of Justice said 1,701 prisoners - including 344 convicted of violence against the person - were freed from jail early in the first week of the scheme from June 29. The total also included 24 robbers and 149 burglars.

It was the first time the department had provided a breakdown of the early release scheme, which ministers have predicted will lead to the freeing of 25,500 inmates over a year. Prisons minister David Hanson said 30 of those freed had been recalled to jail.

Prisoners convicted of violence against the person were the second largest category after those serving time for theft and handling, who numbered 404 of the 1,701 total. The figure also included 65 people sentenced for drug offences, 37 for fraud and forgery and 219 for motoring offences. Most of the total had been sentenced to six months' imprisonment or less but 289 had been jailed for between one and four years.

If the first week's total was repeated every week over the course of a year, it would mean nearly 88,500 offenders being freed early. But this seems unlikely as the first day of the scheme saw a "surge" of 884 releases, with the total falling to just 87 on the fourth day and 100 on the fifth.

Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said: "It is totally unacceptable that over 1,700 prisoners have been released early on to the streets, including violent offenders, those who have committed theft and drugs-related offences and a fifth of whom have committed crimes sufficiently serious that they were originally sentenced to longer than a year in prison.

"The public is being placed at risk and the blame lies squarely with ministers who 10 years ago ignored future projections of the prison population and failed to build adequate capacity."