Around 1,750 inmates were released this month under the government program, which allows for the early release of prisoners who have served 40% of their sentence, rather than the previous 50%.

Thousands more are expected to be released.

Confirming a report by the Daily Mirror, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated that a small number of prisoners, who had been mistakenly sentenced or sentenced under outdated laws, were wrongly released.

“The convictions remain valid, and the released individuals are being monitored and will soon return to prison. Public safety is our top priority,” the spokesperson said.

The 37 prisoners, who had been jailed for breaching restraining orders, were mistakenly freed, but most have already returned to prison, with five still at large.

The Ministry clarified that these 37 individuals had been wrongly tried under outdated legislation and should not have been included in the early release plan.

The UK has the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe and is facing a prison crisis, with the inmate population surging post-pandemic due to longer sentences, delays in trials, and new regulations requiring those convicted of serious crimes to serve at least 65% of their sentence.

The Labour government, which took office in July, announced the need for an early release plan, warning that prisons were at risk of becoming full within weeks.

Inmates serving sentences of four years or more for serious violent offenses are excluded from the plan.