By Basant El-Faramawy
More prisoners were recalled to jail than released in England and Wales in the first half of 2026, despite government efforts to reduce overcrowding, according to Ministry of Justice figures released Thursday.
Recalls Outpace Releases
In the three months to June, 12,338 people were recalled to custody while 12,278 were released, continuing a trend from January to March when 13,193 were returned to prison against 12,977 releases. Over the year to June, 52,716 prisoners were recalled for breaching licence conditions, a 27% increase on the previous 12 months.
Early Release Schemes and Policy Changes
The high recall rate has contributed to the prison capacity crisis and prompted emergency early release measures. Between September 2024 and June 2026, 79,274 inmates were freed early under the SDS40 scheme, which reduced the proportion of sentences served from 50% to 40%. The Ministry of Justice said policy changes, including fixed-term recalls of 56 days, likely drove the rise in recalls. The emergency measures were replaced by a permanent early release scheme from 1 October under the Sentencing Act 2026.
Charities Warn of Revolving Door
The Howard League for Penal Reform described the recall rate as “alarmingly high” and said it worsens overcrowding. Rob Preece, the league’s head of communications, cited chronic overcrowding, staff shortages and poor conditions that hinder rehabilitation. Enver Solomon, chief executive of Nacro, said many released prisoners face addiction, mental health issues and homelessness, and without adequate support they are caught in a revolving cycle of re-imprisonment.
Self-Harm and Violence Remain High
Safety in custody statistics show 360 people died in prison in the 12 months to September 2026, including 66 self-inflicted deaths. Prisons recorded 68,231 self-harm incidents in the year to June 2026, a rate of one every eight minutes. Self-harm fell 12% in men’s prisons and 3.8% in women’s prisons over the period.
Serious Offenders Charged with Further Crimes
A separate dataset revealed that the number of serious offenders on probation charged with a serious further offence rose for a third consecutive year to a record 281. Of those, 119 were registered sexual offenders, 128 were murderers, and four were terrorists or posed a terror risk.
