00:00It's good, it's good. Yeah, it's good because it would be better to release people sooner than later, especially with
00:07offences like mine.
00:08What was your offence?
00:10It was breech over screaming all day.
00:13And what do you have to say to the Prime Minister?
00:17Thank you, to be honest with you.
00:20It's good. It eases the overcrowding. It's crowded as anything can...
00:27There's not a cell three doubling up high-risk cells.
00:30The first wave of early prison releases is underway with 700 prisoners expected to leave jails across England and Wales.
00:38The government says the measures are needed to deal with overcrowding and prevent the justice system from running out of
00:44prison places.
00:45It says the number of prisoners in England and Wales has risen by more than 1,700 in the past
00:52three months.
00:53Nearly 5,000 prisoners are expected to be released in stages over the next year as the Sentencing Act 2026
01:00comes into force.
01:02There are concerns that there are prisoners being released who are not ready to be released and that is a
01:09threat to the public.
01:11How do you feel about that?
01:13There's people that are out on the streets who ain't been arrested that are ordained to the public.
01:17Yeah.
01:18Yeah.
01:20Do you feel that you've been rehabilitated sufficiently now if you were in the same situation again, you would not?
01:27A hundred percent.
01:28A hundred percent.
01:28A hundred percent.
01:29A hundred percent.
01:29You've learnt your lesson.
01:31You think early release is a good idea?
01:33Yeah.
01:33I think it helps people get back out into the community rather spending a long time inside and coming out.
01:37It's harder to come back out the longer you spend in there.
01:41And what do you have to say to the Prime Minister?
01:45Thanks, mate.
01:47Thanks.
01:47I did used to drink a lot, like before, so yeah, kind of, yeah. I haven't drank now in over
01:53three months, so it's been good in that way.
01:58Do you feel that the system has been generous to you, letting you out so early?
02:06Yeah, in a way, yeah.
02:07You do.
02:08Do you think the policy is right for people like you?
02:11Um, maybe, yeah. Especially with my condition as well. Like I said, I suffer from sclerosis, so yeah, it's better
02:19to be out sooner than later, if you know what I mean.
02:22Yeah.
02:23Will you now get any medical help with that? Is that part of that?
02:26Um, yeah, I've got meds for what they've given me, so yeah.
02:31Any other ongoing treatment that you've started in there that can continue now?
02:37Um, yeah, I've got a C-horizons in Bristol.
02:39Yeah.
02:40And that's for, like, helping me stay off alcohol and drugs and things like that.
02:45The policy has attracted criticism from political opponents, victims, representatives and policing organisations.
02:51Victims Commissioner Claire Waxham said the government's confidence in the plan was not yet matched by the reality on the
02:59ground.
