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Government to Release Prisoners After Serving 40% of Sentence. The government will announce that prisoners can be released after serving 40% of their sentences down from the current 50%, to reduce prison overcrowding, according to Sky News. This news comes after the government published new data on prisons, revealing just 708 places left in the adult male prison estate and an ongoing increase in population despite early release measures like the End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL). Justice Secretary Shabanah Mahmood warns the justice system is near collapse, increasing criminal risks. A senior police source calls the situation "intolerable" and dangerous. With fewer than 700 spaces left in male prisons in England and Wales, early releases could free up to 20,000 inmates who will serve the rest of their terms on licence. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT