The letter argued against early releases for "high-risk offenders", terrorists, and those jailed under national security legislation. Repeat offenders can still face short sentences under the changes, and terrorists will not be eligible for earlier release. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This government inherited prisons in crisis, close to collapse. We will never put the public at risk by running out of prison places again. Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Josh Babarinde said Labour had "failed to step up and tackle the scale of the problem" it inherited from the Conservatives, and urged the government to ensure the police have sufficient resources.
