HMP Wandsworth, London— A 49-year-old inmate, Sheikh Yaqub Al Sabah, who served 4 years and 5 months of a 10-year sentence for his role in a £3 million money laundering operation, has been released from prison as part of a nationwide effort to ease overcrowding. His release comes amid a government initiative to create an additional 14,000 prison spaces.
Al Sabah was among the thousands of prisoners granted early release in the second round of inmate discharges following a similar initiative in September.
The initial round saw approximately 1,700 prisoners freed in England and Wales, though 37 were mistakenly released due to system errors. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood assured the public that those issues have been resolved.
As inmates across the country were reunited with their families, many were picked up in luxury vehicles, including Bentleys and Lamborghinis. Speaking outside HMP Wandsworth, Al Sabah, dressed in what he claimed was a £3,000 Philipp Plein tracksuit, expressed his joy: “It is very nice to be released early. I hope all the other prisoners get an early release, too.”
Al Sabah elaborated on his plans: “I will return to my family and have a new future and life. My cousin is going to drive me home in the Lamborghini now.”
His cousin, Ahmed, who arrived in a £250,000 Lamborghini Urus, criticised the justice system: “Prison doesn’t rehabilitate you. Paedophiles and rapists are getting sent to jail and serving less than my cousin, who was sentenced to 10 years. The sentence guidelines don’t make sense.”
Meanwhile, at HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey, emotional reunions unfolded as prisoners were welcomed home by family and friends.
One prisoner was greeted by his children, while another was picked up in a black Rolls Royce by a group of men in matching hoodies. Several inmates were seen leaving the prison with belongings in bin bags, including luxury cars like a white Bentley and a black Mercedes G-wagon.
The government has expanded eligibility for the second round of releases to include inmates serving five sentences or more, provided they have served at least 40% of their sentence. Notably, individuals convicted of murder, sex crimes, or terrorism are not eligible for early release.
Inmate Daniel Dowling-Brooks was among those released from HMP Swaleside. He expressed gratitude to Labour leader Keir Starmer, stating that his first stop would be McDonald’s before heading to his hostel to follow all the rules.
Concerns about prison overcrowding remain. A source reported that British prisons were nearly at total capacity, with only 80 vacant spaces at one point this summer.
Harry, a 27-year-old homeless individual, shared his frustrations about the early release scheme, claiming it allows the wrong people to be freed while others, like himself, continue to face incarceration. “I don’t do probation,” he remarked. “If you’re a serial offender, then you get rehab. I won’t be going. I’m going to get recalled again.”
At HMP Manchester, also known as Strangeways, a dozen prisoners emerged but declined to speak with the media. Many hid their faces behind masks or released papers. One man revealed he was released nine months early from a seven-and-a-half-year sentence due to the new initiative.
David Gauke, the former Conservative Justice Secretary overseeing the review of the prison system, noted that the current system is failing. “Our prisons are not working,” he said, emphasising that nearly 90% of those sentenced to custody are re-offenders.
Gauke’s review explores what punishment and rehabilitation should entail in the 21st century, seeking a sustainable future for the justice system.
In 2019, Gauke suggested abolishing jail terms of six months or less, with exceptions for violent and sexual crimes. He will step down as a Prison Reform Trust charity trustee as he leads the review.
