Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that, under their new arrangements whereby prisoners will not be released on Fridays, prisoners’ sentences will be shortened to end on the Thursday rather than extended through to the following Monday.

The Government is supporting the Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Bill. This Private Members’ Bill was introduced to the House of Lords on 6 March 2023, sponsored by Lord Bird, following passage through the House of Commons. If it gains Royal Assent, the Bill will enable offenders who are at risk of reoffending to have their release date moved 1-2 days earlier, where their release falls on a Friday, or before a bank/public holiday.

It would be unlawful detention to detain an offender beyond their release date.