Thousands of prisoners could be let out early to ease the strain on overcrowded jails

THOUSANDS of prisoners could be released early to ease pressure on overcrowded jails, it has been claimed.

The Ministry of Justice ordered a review of inmates eligible for early release after it emerged tens of thousands missed out.

Lags doing time for robbery, burglary and public order crimes could be released under the “home detention curfew”, which would see them tagged.

The MoJ, led by Justice Secretary David Gauke, is looking at ways to tackle packed prisons.

Officials discovered that in 2016 more than 35,000 eligible prisoners were not released, according to an MoJ paper last month.

But Philip Hollobone, Tory MP for Kettering, said: “The public wants criminals to serve the sentence in full.

“The further we get away from that, the less sentences are a fitting punishment for the crime committed.”

Lags serving between three months and four years qualify.

Sex offenders and prisoners sentenced for hate crime or terrorism are among those not eligible for release.

Previous proposals to cut prison numbers involved fewer sent to jail. Officials fear political repercussions of prisoners reoffending after early release.

An MoJ spokesperson told The Times: “We are simplifying the HDC process, reducing the number of forms used in the assessment process and maintaining the strict eligibility and suitability tests.”