More Prisoners Recalled Than Released in England and Wales

More people were sent back to prison in England and Wales than were let out in the April to June 2026 quarter. Ministry of Justice data shows 12,338 people were recalled to custody in those three months, while 12,278 were released.

A recall means a person who has been released is returned to prison, usually for breaking the conditions of their licence, the set of rules they must follow after leaving custody. Across the year to June 2026, 52,716 prisoners were recalled for breaching those terms, up 27% on the previous 12 months. In the January to March quarter, 13,193 people were returned to prison and 12,977 were released.

The rise comes alongside a large programme of early releases. Between September 2024 and June 2026, 79,274 inmates were freed before the end of their sentences under emergency measures intended to ease overcrowding. One of these was SDS40, which cut the share of sentence some prisoners must serve from 50% to 40%. Up to June 2026 there had been 41,231 SDS40 releases, 9,208 of them in the April to June quarter.

The Ministry of Justice said the increase in recalls among SDS40 releases was likely influenced by a policy change. Most offenders are now taken back into custody for 56 days before being released again, rather than being held until the end of their sentence.

Total prisoner releases between April and June 2026 fell 18% compared with the same period in 2025, according to the Ministry of Justice's quarterly statistics. The emergency measures are being replaced. From 1 October 2026, a permanent scheme for early releases takes effect under the Sentencing Act 2026.

There were 360 deaths of people in prison in the 12 months to the end of September 2026, 66 of which were recorded as self-inflicted. Prisons recorded 68,231 incidents of self-harm in the 12 months to June 2026. Incidents fell by 12% in men's prisons and by 3.8% in women's prisons over that period.

Finally, the number of serious offenders on probation, meaning people supervised in the community, who were charged with a serious further offence rose for a third successive year to a record 281. Of those, 119 were registered sexual offenders, 128 were murderers, and four were terrorists or posed a terror risk.