HMP Five Wells early release sees 49 men freed including one jailed for 'intentional strangulation'

A total of 49 prisoners have been released early today (Tuesday, November 10) from HMP Five Wells as part of the government’s scheme to ease severe prison overcrowding.

Outside the prison this morning, those just released were being collected by taxis ordered by G4S - some were being taken to Wellingborough station, others were being taken to appointments further afield including London.

Family members and friends queued up in cars outside the prison’s main entrance for their reunions - lads in cars with music blaring waited alongside whole families desperate to see their loved ones.

Released prisoners stood in the doorway away from the chilly wind next to their bagged belongings, some with artwork in clear plastic bags.

It is the third wave of early releases in England and Wales with about 650 prisoners freed as part of the Sentencing Act 2026 and includes offenders serving up to two-and-a-half years for crimes.

Among those happy to be released was Andreas Burton who has spent the past six months in HMP Five Wells. He told our reporters that he had moved from HMP Norwich and that he had served ten-and-a-half months after being jailed for ‘intentional strangulation and assault’. He had been told about his release a couple of months ago and was being collected by car.

Mr Burton said: “I’m feeling good. The main thing is I'm out. I'm going straight to probation then going straight to an AA meeting.”

When asked what it was like inside the prison, he said: “I was at Norwich. I come here, got sold a lie. I didn't know there was all this integration stuff, because, to be honest, I wouldn't have come here - being associated with paedophiles and rapists and that.

“Sitting there talking about things like that in class, you know, what they've done to other people. And that is disgusting.

“I'll just leave it at that. It's not good. But I'm out now.”

He added that the government should ‘keep it going’ with the early release scheme.

Rapists, the most serious child sex offenders, terrorists, murderers serving life sentences, and those convicted of manslaughter are explicitly excluded from the policy.

Changes to prison release arrangements were made by the Government through the Sentencing Act 2026.

Today sees the latest group to be released including offenders serving up to two-and-a-half years for crimes.

Another prisoner, who wanted to remain anonymous, was heading home to Somerset. He had served 10 months of a 30-month sentence. As well as feeling nervous he felt ‘good’.

He said: “It's good, a bit nervous, but I'm feeling good. I've just done ten months but I've done my time and learned my lesson and I'm not coming back.”

Describing HMP Five Wells as ‘one of the nicer’ prisons, he had three holdall bags containing his clothes bought during his time as an inmate. During his sentence he lost six stone and had to order a whole new wardrobe through the inmate app system.

Working as an onsite gardener, he had been able to earn money inside. He also worked as a support mentor to other prisoners.

Clutching his discharge papers in a brown envelope, he was heading to Wellingborough train station in a taxi.

He said: “I’ve got my discharge grant. There's money I earned in there as well and the travel warrant.

“I’m going to decompress, get back into a routine, have an actual shower and eat decent food.”

The Government said the changes are ‘intended to help ensure there is enough space in prisons, while making sure there is tough supervision of offenders when they are released to keep victims and the wider public safe’.

An offender’s sentence will have three stages – time in prison, before entering ‘intensive’ supervision in the community supervised by the Probation Service in the community. This will include regular appointments, risk assessments, and monitoring of licence conditions. 

All offenders will remain on licence, and can be recalled to custody if they cannot be safely managed in the community.