Prisoner Early Release Schemes report

Drawing on survey evidence from prison and probation staff across England and Wales, the report explores the cumulative impact of the End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) and SDS40 schemes. It highlights how these initiatives increased pressure on an already stretched workforce, intensifying workloads and exposing long‑standing capacity and resourcing challenges within prisons and probation services.

Set against this backdrop, the report assesses what these experiences mean for the proposed introduction of a ‘Texas-style’ points-based early release model, announced as part of the Independent Sentencing Review. It identifies practical lessons from earlier schemes and sets out clear, evidence‑based recommendations to support smoother implementation of future reforms.

The findings focus on workforce readiness, communication, planning and system design, with an emphasis on rebuilding sustainable capacity and reducing unintended operational strain. By examining how staff managed the delivery of previous early release schemes, the report provides valuable insight into what must change to ensure future approaches are effective, resilient and fair to both staff and those under supervision in the community.

This resource will be of interest to policymakers, criminal justice leaders, workforce planners and practitioners involved in prison, probation and sentencing reform.

Fill out the form to view and download the report ‘Prisoner Early Release Schemes: Assessing the workforce impacts in England and Wales’