More prisoners recalled to jail than released in England and Wales
In April–June this year, 12,338 people were recalled to prison in England and Wales while 12,278 were released, Ministry of Justice figures show. The high recall rate is deepening the prison overcrowding crisis.
More people were sent back to prison than were let out in England and Wales during the first half of this year, even though the government is trying to shrink the prison population. The figures were published on Thursday by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). Recalls after release are a key driver of the overcrowding crisis and contributed to the early release schemes introduced earlier this month.
The numbers
Between the start of April and the end of June, 12,338 people were recalled to custody and 12,278 were released. From January to March, 13,193 were returned to prison and 12,977 released. In the year to June, 52,716 prisoners were put back behind bars for breaching licence conditions, 27% more than in the previous 12 months.
From September 2024 to June 2026, 79,274 inmates were freed early under emergency measures. The SDS40 scheme reduced the share of a sentence some prisoners must serve from 50% to 40%. The MoJ says it is one of several policy changes likely to have contributed to the rise in recalls. Another is a rule under which most offenders are taken back into custody for 56 days before being released again, rather than being held until the end of their sentence. Since 1 October, the emergency measures have been replaced by a permanent early release scheme under the Sentencing Act 2026.
Reaction
The Howard League for Penal Reform, a prison reform charity, said the high recall rate is making a terrible problem worse and urged the government to find a lasting solution. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the social justice charity Nacro, said recalls must be addressed urgently or prison places will again fill up with people sent back. He said many of those released return to chaotic lives involving addiction, mental health problems and homelessness. The MoJ said it is vital that those who break the rules can be returned to prison.
Safety in custody
In the 12 months to the end of September 2026, 360 people died in prison, including 66 in circumstances recorded as self-inflicted. Prisons recorded 68,231 self-harm incidents in the 12 months to the end of June, one every eight minutes. Incidents fell by 12% in men's prisons and 3.8% in women's prisons.
Separate figures show the number of serious offenders on probation charged with a serious further offence rose for a third successive year to a record. Of 281 people charged, 119 were registered sexual offenders, 128 were murderers and four were terrorists or posed a terror risk.
