Criminals freed early to ease crowding

LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) Hundreds of criminals may be released early from jail in an attempt to ease overcrowding caused by record prison numbers in England and Wales, the government said today.

Justice Secretary Lord Falconer said prisoners jailed for four years or less could be freed up to 18 days early from the end of this month.

Inmates convicted of serious violent or sexual offences and foreign prisoners due to be deported will not be released early.

''More people are being sent to prison than ever before,'' Falconer told the House of Lords. ''Since 1997, the prison population has increased from 61,467 to 81,016.'' The move could free about 1,200 prison places immediately and between 400 and 500 each week over the year, Falconer told BBC News 24.

The Conservatives said burglars, fraudsters and drug dealers could be among those released, putting public safety at risk.

''This is disgraceful and a direct consequence of the government's absolute failure to deal with the crises in our prisons,'' said Shadow Home Secretary David Davis.

Jails are so crowded that hundreds of prisoners are held each night in police cells and in courts. That has cost an estimated 30 million pounds since last October.

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the plan to release prisoners early was not before time.

''It is awful that it has reached a pitch where government is having to take a quick, short-term fix,'' she told BBC radio. ''We are simply hoping this can be used as a kind of respite to make a proper, consistent and sane plan.'' She said overcrowding was causing damage to prisoners and staff and creating volatile conditions in jails.

Falconer also announced funding for an extra 1,500 prison spaces, on top of 8,000 due to be built by 2012.

REUTERS YA RAI2338