Hundreds more prisoners are being released early from HMP Wandsworth as part of a wider scheme intended to ease overcrowding in England’s jails. Multiple outlets report that the latest phase involves roughly 650 people leaving custody on Tuesday morning.
The coverage places the releases within an ongoing multi-wave programme, with some outlets explicitly calling it the “third wave.” The London Evening Standard frames the plan as a “controversial scheme,” while other reports emphasise overcrowding relief. Sky News and The Independent likewise describe the day’s releases in terms of reducing pressure on prisons.
BBC News adds context on the scale so far, saying at least 1,350 offenders have already been released early under the scheme. Belfast Telegraph uses similar language, describing “hundreds more” walking free in the latest phase, without adding further figures in the provided material. Across sources, the main points—timing, the approximate number involved, and the overcrowding rationale—are consistent, with differences mainly in emphasis and how much prior progress is included.
