CONVICTED thugs and sex offenders will be let out almost a week early before Christmas.
All eligible inmates should be released at least two working days before a weekend or public holiday, new prison guidance states.
GettySome lags are set to be released from their cells early this Christmas[/caption]
And all prisoners with a release date between Friday, December 22, and Boxing Day are set to be freed on Wednesday December 20, which will be six days early in some cases.
A source said: “The last thing we want is for some crazed stalker or violent ex-partner or to be given days of freedom in the run-up to Christmas, so it seems extraordinary that sex offenders and violent criminals have not been excluded.”
When Christmas last fell on a Monday in 2017, 505 prisoners were released before the end of their sentence.
The new guidance says that the policy must be followed unless there is a clear risk of harm to the public.
It is despite Justice Secretary Alex Chalk insisting that violent and sex offenders would not benefit from last month’s scheme to ease overcrowding by releasing prisoners up to 18 days early.
It also means those with a release date between Friday, December 29, and Monday, January 1, will be freed the previous Wednesday or Thursday.
The MoJ said early release ahead of a weekend or bank holiday had long been a legal requirement.
It added: “We are also ending Friday releases for the same reason — so prisoners can access vital support rather than leaving them on the streets at risk of reoffending.”
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