Top Police, Security Chiefs & MI5 Warn Early Prison Releases Could Jeopardize Public Safety

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Plans by Sir Keir Starmer’s government to release thousands of prisoners early have sparked serious concerns among Britain’s top police and security officials, who warn that such measures could significantly undermine public safety and diminish trust in the criminal justice system. In a joint letter to the Ministry of Justice, the heads of the Metropolitan Police, MI5, and the National Crime Agency expressed alarm over the proposed changes, cautioning that the impact could be a “net detriment to public safety.”

 

According to The Times, the concerns come in response to government plans that would allow prisoners to be released after serving just a third of their sentences. Senior law enforcement figures stated plainly, “We have to ensure that out of court does not mean out of justice, and that out of prison does not mean out of control.” The letter, which predates the formal announcement of the policy, was sent to the Ministry of Justice’s permanent secretary on May 16. Despite being briefed in advance, sources close to the signatories have indicated that the core of their concerns remains unchanged.

 

The letter was signed by high-ranking figures, including Sir Mark Rowley, head of the Metropolitan Police; the deputy director-general of MI5; Graeme Biggar, director-general of the National Crime Agency; Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council; Vicki Evans, the national lead on counter-terror policing; and Sacha Hatchett, the national lead on criminal justice at the NPCC.

 

These officials fear that the government’s strategy could increase pressure on frontline policing. They also warned that without adequate investment, law enforcement would struggle to fulfill the Prime Minister’s key commitments—such as halving knife crime, reducing violence against women and girls by 50 percent, and recruiting 13,000 additional officers. In a joint piece for The Times, six senior police chiefs emphasized that unless “serious investment” is made, the country could face “the retrenchment we saw under austerity.”

 

The call for funding is particularly urgent given that the police have requested an additional £300 million in the upcoming June 11 spending review to manage what they term the “additional offending population at large.” Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly preparing to implement real-terms cuts to the Home Office budget, compounding the challenges faced by law enforcement.

 

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the early release plans last week, warning that the UK’s prison system is nearing collapse due to overcrowding. However, the policing and security community has pushed back strongly, urging that certain high-risk categories of offenders—such as those convicted of domestic abuse or child abuse—should not be eligible for early release. They further insisted that “hyper-prolific” offenders should remain behind bars, even if short-term imprisonment does not significantly alter long-term behavior, arguing that incarceration provides both a sense of justice and a temporary reprieve for communities.

 

There were also pointed criticisms of the current electronic tagging system. The letter states, “We have concerns on the existing contract for the provision of electronic monitoring and the performance of that service,” raising doubts about its effectiveness as a tool for supervising early-release prisoners. Of equal concern is the potential early release of individuals convicted under national security legislation, including actors linked to Russian, Iranian, and Chinese state interests. “It is vital we retain sentencing that provides a strong deterrent to those who may be tempted to work on their behalf, and robust arrangements for managing these high-demand risk cohorts in prison and post-release,” the letter warned.

 

The government has responded by stating that several key concerns have been addressed. Offenders convicted under terrorism legislation and domestic abusers, where a period of separation is deemed necessary, will be excluded from early release. Judges will also retain the discretion to impose short sentences in exceptional circumstances. In addition, the government highlighted a £700 million boost to probation funding, which it claims will support intensive supervision of those released early.

 

Still, the coordinated warning from some of the most powerful voices in UK policing and intelligence underscores the scale of the challenge facing Starmer’s government as it attempts to balance prison overcrowding with public protection.

 

Related Topic:

Met Police Chief Warns: Ambitious Crime Cuts Need Matching Investment

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-05-29

 

 

[JonnyF]

Yes it will jeapordize public safety. But Starmer has shown with his handling of the rape gangs that he doesn't care about any of that.

 

All he cares about is maintaining his grip on power and he needs the prison cells for political opponents and critics of his failing policies. 

 

If Tommy Robinson's defiant speech upon release from jail is anything to go by, his attempts to silence opposition via political imprisonment appears to be failing spectacularly. I guess he assumed everyone is as spineless as he is. 

[Chomper Higgot]

35 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Yes it will jeapordize public safety. But Starmer has shown with his handling of the rape gangs that he doesn't care about any of that.

 

All he cares about is maintaining his grip on power and he needs the prison cells for political opponents and critics of his failing policies. 

 

If Tommy Robinson's defiant speech upon release from jail is anything to go by, his attempts to silence opposition via political imprisonment appears to be failing spectacularly. I guess he assumed everyone is as spineless as he is. 

Jonny, the subject of the thread is not ‘rape gangs.

As PM Starmer doesn’t send anyone to prison, that’s the job of the courts, and they aren’t imprisoning anyone who is a political opponent of the PM or for criticism of the Government’s policies.

 

 

Nothing Yaxley Lennon has to say is anything  to ‘go by’, he’s nothing more than a habitual law breaker. 

[JonnyF]

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Jonny, the subject of the thread is not ‘rape gangs.

As PM Starmer doesn’t send anyone to prison, that’s the job of the courts, and they aren’t imprisoning anyone who is a political opponent of the PM or for criticism of the Government’s policies.

 

 

Nothing Yaxley Lennon has to say is anything  to ‘go by’, he’s nothing more than a habitual law breaker. 

 

I know you wish the rape gang scandal would just disappear but it's very relevant to the issue of public safety, the topic of the thread.

 

As for Tommy Robinson, he is going nowhere and along with the likes of Musk will continue to be a thorn in the side of the Granny freezer, Keir Rodney Starmer.

 

Starmer is increasingly looking like a lame duck and continuing to release violent offenders early while locking up middle aged mothers for several years for rude posts on FaceBook is not helping his cause.