Criminals could be back on Britain's streets after serving just a SIXTH of sentence under shock MoJ plans

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The Justice Secretary is weighing up the move as ministers scramble to ease pressure on Britain's overcrowded prisons

Criminals could be released back onto Britain's streets after serving just a sixth of their sentence under plans being weighed up by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

The department is considering a return of home detention curfews (HDC), under which convicts live at home but face strict curfew conditions requiring them to stay inside between 7pm and 7am.

Their movements are tracked by authorities through an electronic ankle tag.

Currently, prisoners eligible for HDC can be moved to house arrest after serving half of their sentence.

However, some could be moved to house arrest after serving just a sixth under the "progression" sentencing model, which comes into force in October.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris is weighing up the plans as he attempts to row back on the early release of criminals.

Last month, Labour admitted around 6,000 criminals could be eligible for release after serving half of their term or, in some cases, just a third under the Sentencing Act 2026.

Fears had been rising that the killers of PC Andrew Harper could be among those freed early, but Mr Norris told police chiefs this week that they will remain behind bars.

Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole were handed 13-year prison sentences for the manslaughter of the 28-year-old in 2020.

PC Harper was dragged for more than a mile behind their car after responding to reports of a quad bike theft in 2019.

The Sentencing Act was drawn up by Sir Keir Starmer's Government as ministers looked for possible solutions to the prison crisis.

However, following serious backlash from police leaders and local communities, as well as a petition which rapidly collected more than a million signatures, the Government appeared to U-turn on the issue.

The Prime Minister was able to exempt around 1,000 rapists and child sex offenders from the controversial scheme.

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Ministers are now scrambling to find extra prison spaces, with only 1,665 places available in men's prisons across Britain.

According to two sources who spoke to The Telegraph, the Government is considering reviving the HDC scheme alongside several other measures to ease pressure on Britain's prisons.

Ministers are also considering converting parts of the youth and women's prison estate to accommodate male inmates.

Officials are examining ways to speed up the removal of foreign national offenders from Britain.

Reducing the number of prisoners serving indefinite imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences is also among the options under consideration.

The HDC scheme currently applies to around 4,000 inmates, although it had been earmarked for abolition under the Government's incoming progression model.

Under the new system, some offenders would be released after serving a third of their sentences rather than 40 per cent, while others would be freed at the halfway point instead of after two thirds.

However, strict eligibility requirements apply to HDC, with most violent and serious offenders excluded from the scheme.

Every application is also subject to an individual risk assessment.

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy blasted the proposal to release criminals after a sixth of their sentence as "an outrage".

He said: “Labour should focus on using existing space, expanding capacity and building more prisons, not rushing out more half-baked plans as a short-term fix."

A spokesman for the MoJ said: "Public safety will always be our priority. We are fast-tracking a plan to keep more of the most serious offenders behind bars, on top of murderers, anyone on life sentences and sentences for rape, serious child sexual abuse and grooming offences which are already blocked from any changes.

“We share the public’s anger that these options are even being considered, after we inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse.

“We are fixing this by building 14,000 new prison places, expanding electronic tagging on an unprecedented scale and investing in probation services at record levels.

“We are also exploring how we can go further, including faster deportation of foreign criminals and reviewing the unjust IPP sentences.”