Which criminals will be released today under early prison release scheme?
Thousands of inmates are being released early on Tuesday as part of the government's plan to deal with prison overcrowding.
About 1,700 prisoners in England and Wales will be freed on the first day of the scheme, with a total of 5,500 expected to be released during September and October.
The releases will be on top of the 1,000 prisoners who are usually freed each week.
Under the government plan, eligible prisoners who have served only 40% of their fixed-term sentence, rather than 50%, will be released automatically.
Yahoo News UK looks at what kind of offenders are likely to be released.
Which prisoners won't be released?
The government says the early release will not apply to prisoners convicted of sex offences; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more; terrorist offences; offences relating to national security and many offences connected to domestic abuse.
These will include stalking offences, controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship, non-fatal strangulation and suffocation.
Will all serious offenders remain behind bars?
However, last week, The Guardian reported that the Ministry of Justice admitted some serious offenders would be eligible for early release.
This could apply if they had completed a sentence for a serious crime but were serving a consecutive sentence for a lesser offence.
Channel 4 reported last week that some serious sexual offenders and other violent criminals would be released under this criteria.
Which prisoners will be released?
Burglars and shoplifters
Those convicted of burglary and shoplifting are also expected to be eligible for early release under the new plan.
Shoplifting, an offence under the Theft Act 1968, can carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison if the goods are worth less than £200, according to the Sentencing Council.
Fraudsters
Some of those found guilty of fraud are also likely to be released. Sentences for types of fraud range from a discharge to up to 10 years in custody, so it is likely that those offenders at the lower end of the scale could be eligible for release today.
Rioters
Despite prison capacity being severely impacted by the large number of offenders being convicted over the rioting that blighted England in the summer, it has emerged that those involved could be eligible for early release.
Rioters are among those who could end up spending less time in prison as the government confirmed those involved in the recent unrest would not be excluded from the early release scheme.
Drug dealers
Those convicted of drug offences are also eligible for early release under the government scheme, according to reports by the BBC and The Telegraph.
Many prisoners who have committed a range of offences will be eligible because the scheme applies to standard determinate sentences, or fixed term sentences, where offenders are given a fixed time in prison and an automatic release date usually halfway through the sentence.
Watch: Government: Prison release only option left on the table
What have campaigners said about the scheme?
Charities are unconvinced about the early release plan, saying it will not provide a long-term solution to the prison crisis.
They have also warned that the scheme may pose a threat to women and children's safety and that it would push probation services to breaking point.
Andrea Coomber KC, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform (HLPR), said: “Although the early release scheme starting today will ease some pressure and buy a little time, more action will be needed to achieve a lasting solution. The situation in prisons and probation requires a complete reset.”
Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust (PRT), said: “We cannot continue to warehouse people in these conditions and expect that things will be better when they’re released.”
