THE authorities have confirmed the number of Warrington prisoners that have been released early so far this week.

Tuesday saw an ‘exodus’ of around 1,700 prisoners from jails across England and Wales after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans in July to cut the proportion of sentences which inmates must serve behind bars.

This was previously 50 per cent, but it is now 40 per cent, as the Ministry of Justice said overcrowding had pushed jails to the ‘point of collapse’.

Warrington has two prisons – the category C HMP Risley, which is a ‘training and resettlement’ jail, and the category D HMP Thorn Cross, which is a ‘minimal security open prison’.

The Prison Officers’ Association has confirmed to the Warrington Guardian that, so far this week, 53 Risley inmates have been released from the Warrington Road jail under the new 40 per cent early release provisions.

For HMP Thorn Cross, on Arley Road in Appleton Thorn, the number released early is nine.

A proportion of criminals from Warrington are housed in Liverpool’s HMP Altcourse, often appearing in court from there via video link, with the number released early from that facility being 35.

The Prime Minister has defended freeing criminals, including some convicted killers, early from prison as he angrily blamed previous government inaction for forcing him into the move.

Sir Keir Starmer lashed out at former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the House of Commons, repeating claims he had no choice but to cut the amount of time prisoners would serve behind bars amid urgent efforts to tackle the jail overcrowding crisis.

His comments were in response to accusations from Reform UK’s leader that Sir Keir was presiding over a two-tier justice system.

Nigel Farage described ‘some extraordinary celebratory scenes outside Britain’s prisons, where in some cases serious career criminals were released’ after pictures emerged of an inmate being sprayed with bubbly by friends as they left jail.

Sir Keir told MPs: “I am angry to be put in a position of having to release people who should be in prison because the last government broke the prison system.

“The Prime Minister was repeatedly warned that he had to adopt the scheme that we put in place.”

Earlier this week, prisons watchdog Charlie Taylor warned it was ‘inevitable’ some prisoners released early would reoffend and end up back behind bars under the ‘risky’ scheme.

Some who are homeless on release could be temporarily placed in taxpayer-funded budget hotels if there is not enough space in bail hostels and other community accommodation typically used for offenders, Ms Mahmood also told MPs.