Prisoners to be released to ease crowding

 The Ministry of Justice is moving to reduce the pressure on overcrowded prisons by increasing the number of inmates eligible for early release.

Governors have reportedly been told to review cases of prisoners who were refused release under the home detention curfew (HDC) scheme, which allows them to return home with an electronic tag.

The move comes as it emerged that prison guards were deployed to understaffed jails more than 1,700 times last year – at a cost of £2 million. Hotel stays and travel expenses from Jan-nov last year came to £2,488,180 – enough to employ 108 full-time prison officers on £23,000 a year.

The Government also published data showing the number of prison officers has fallen by 8,000 – almost 20 per cent – since 2010, despite a rise in the overall prison population.