Labour to free waves of killers and rapists early: Criminals guilty of the most serious offences will now be released just halfway through sentences

By DAVID BARRETT, HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR and REBECCA CAMBER, CRIME AND SECURITY EDITOR Published: 00:01, 26 June 2026 | Updated: 00:01, 26 June 2026 Labour is to start releasing waves of killers, rapists and violent criminals from jail under its controversial soft-justice plan. As part of a scheme to free up prison space, even those jailed for more than a decade will get out early. The plan will 'horrify' victims, Justice Secretary David Lammy was warned last night, amid calls for it to be halted immediately. The Ministry of Justice release programme could mean hundreds of serious criminals being freed in large batches - potentially even on the same day - heightening police fears of a surge of offenders on the streets. Ministers have set out a timetable that will see 6,000 prisoners walk free, starting in September. Criminals handed sentences shorter than 18 months will be the first to be freed.  Releases will then ramp up month by month, depending on the length of sentences. Offenders handed more than 12 years in jail - some of the most dangerous criminals in the country - will start to be freed next June. Tory spokesman Dr Kieran Mullan said: 'Victims are going to feel like justice has been stolen from them by these plans. We aren't talking about shoplifters or vandals. On the first day of Labour's scheme in September 2024, criminals released early were seen celebrating outside jails The plan will 'horrify' victims, Justice Secretary David Lammy (pictured left with outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer) was warned last night, amid calls for it to be halted immediately 'We are talking about paedophiles, rapists and seriously violent criminals. Seeing them walk out of prison years early will horrify most victims, and the public as well. The whole programme needs to be stopped.' Labour's Sentencing Act, part of a long-term plan to reduce the prison population, allows early release for violent and sexual offenders after serving half their sentence, rather than the current two-thirds. Other offenders could be freed after serving just a third of the punishment imposed by a court if they demonstrate good behaviour while in jail. The early-release scheme means a killer jailed for 15 years for manslaughter would be freed after seven and a half years if they are assessed to have behaved well.  Murderers will not be considered because they are given a mandatory life term, with a minimum amount of years they must serve. Ministers are braced for a backlash after a scheme introduced in autumn 2024 saw offenders celebrating at the prison gates by popping bottles of bubbly, driving away in luxury cars and thanking Keir Starmer. Police leaders have warned that the reforms - which also ditch short jail sentences - will unleash a crimewave.  And there is concern among prison and probation chiefs about the impact on victims who will be devastated to learn their attacker is going free years ahead of time.  Tom Wheatley, of the Prison Governors' Association, said: 'There will inevitably be individual victims who have suffered at the hands of an offender who will become very upset.' Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said the scheme was 'reckless' and an 'insult to victims'. He added: 'Killers and rapists, including the evil rape-gang perpetrators, should remain behind bars where they belong but Labour want to let them back on the street.' The MoJ said: 'This Government inherited a prison system in crisis and we are fixing it - building 14,000 more prison places and reforming sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous criminals. 'Without this decisive action, prisons would have run out of space entirely, making it impossible for convicted offenders to be sent to prison and risking the complete breakdown of the criminal justice system, putting the public at untold risk. 'We're also making sure punishment works to cut crime and strengthening supervision in the community - investing £700million into probation, recruiting 1,300 additional probation officers this year, and ensuring every prison leaver is tagged unless there is clear reason not to.' The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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