HMP BERWYN has so far let more than 1,600 inmates out as part of an early release scheme, it has been confirmed.
The figure was revealed as part of data released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which also showed the number of criminals being recalled to prison in England and Wales has hit a 10-year high.
Some 48,327 prisoners were put back behind bars last year after breaching the terms of their licence, according to the MoJ.
This is more than double the number seen in 2015 when records began (21,467) and up 29 per cent on 2024 (37,573).
The figures also show 60,108 inmates have been freed early since September 2024, when the Government brought in emergency measures to tackle the overcrowding crisis. The move saw the proportion of sentences that some prisoners must serve in England and Wales reduced from 50 per cent to 40.
The early release scheme – known as SDS40 – was among a raft of major policy changes in recent years, which is “likely” to have contributed to the rise in recalls, the MoJ said.
Press Association analysis of the data shows 54,087 of the 60,108 early releases (90.0 per cent) were British nationals, 5,917 (9.8 per cent) were foreign nationals and 104 (0.2 per cent) had no nationality recorded.
The age group that made up the greatest proportion of early releases was 30 to 39-year-olds (22,484 prisoners, or 37.5 per cent), followed by 40 to 49-year-olds (14,322, or 23.9 per cent).
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Some 17,890 prisoners released early (29.8 per cent) were serving sentences of six months or under, with a further 8,880 (14.8 per cent) serving sentences of between six and 12 months.
HMP Humber in Brough, near Hull, has released the highest number of inmates so far under the scheme (1,827), followed by Fosse Way in Leicester (1,646), Berwyn in Wrexham (1,608) and Parc B in Bridgend (1,361).
The prison population reached a record high of 88,521 in September 2024 and now stands at 85,704.
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