Prisoners released early are already back in prison

He said the most important factor in deciding whether to return to prison early was whether released prisoners had housing, and predicted that based on past trends, a third of prisoners were likely to reoffend within a year of their release.

The Telegraph spoke to an inmate on Tuesday who expected to be back in prison soon.

Jack Creighton, 54, said he would “sleep on a park bench tonight” after being released early without being provided with accommodation.

Creighton, who admitted to being “in and out of prison” for “minor offences”, was released from Wandsworth Prison on Tuesday morning. Speaking outside the prison gates, he said: “I'm going to sleep on a park bench tonight, then I'm sure I'll start drinking and then I'll be back.”

Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood has even gone so far as to provide cheap hotels as emergency accommodation for released prisoners to reduce the likelihood of them becoming homeless. Just over 13 percent of offenders released in the year to March 2024 were homeless.

The chances of recall have also increased due to overcrowding in prisons, which has resulted in limited rehabilitation measures such as vocational training, education and drug and alcohol treatment programs, according to reports by Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor.

A 59-year-old man who was released early from HMP Brixton on Tuesday told the Times he was locked up in prison for “hitting people on the head” but was released after 17 months behind bars.

When asked if he felt rehabilitated, the man, who identified himself only as Mr T, said: “Certainly not. There is no rehabilitation. Nobody talks to you, you just go in, lie down and 17 months later I'm out again.” He added: “I don't want to relapse, but you never know. You can never say no.”

Justice Department figures show that between January and March 2024, the number of recalls of released prisoners for violating their conditions was 7,415, an increase of 9 percent over the same quarter last year.