Labour’s “shameful” prison early release scheme risks leaving victims “living in fear” as thousands of inmates begin leaving jail on Thursday, the domestic abuse commissioner has warned.

Dame Nicole Jacobs said survivors of abuse were being forced to “uproot their lives” because they did not believe adequate safeguards had been put in place.

Around 700 offenders serving sentences of up to 19 months are due to be released across England and Wales from Thursday morning.

The first phase of the scheme is expected to free more than 4,500 prisoners by June.

The Labour government’s latest early release programme follows an earlier scheme introduced two years ago, under which more than 70,000 prisoners were released before completing their sentences.

Dame Nicole said: “As the first perpetrators begin to leave prison, survivors across the country will be looking over their shoulders and living in fear because the Government and the criminal justice system have failed to protect them.

“It is frankly shameful that, as this scheme begins—despite ministers having had months to prepare—I still have no assurance that the risks posed by dangerous perpetrators have been properly considered and assessed, with meaningful input from victims and the specialist services supporting them.

“I have heard from survivors who feel they have been treated as an afterthought throughout the process.

“Many are now having to make their own arrangements to stay safe, including uprooting their lives, because they simply do not trust that sufficient safeguards are in place to manage their abuser safely in the community.”

She added: “Ultimately, we cannot ignore the fact that the early release scheme has caused untold damage to victims’ confidence in the justice system.

“That is particularly troubling when survivors may now face a longer wait for justice than the time their perpetrator spends behind bars.”

She urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham and the Labour government to take “urgent steps” to strengthen protections for victims.

The Government has repeatedly changed position on the plans, which are intended to create capacity in overcrowded prisons.

Following a public backlash, Mr Burnham was forced to exclude offenders convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming offences. The exclusions were later widened to include those convicted of manslaughter and other offences involving “unlawful killing”.

However, Dame Nicole warned that many perpetrators of domestic abuse will still qualify for early release.

The latest prison release scheme was drawn up by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood while she was serving as Justice Secretary.

Under the changes, most prisoners who would normally serve 40 or 50 per cent of a court-imposed sentence will be released after completing 33 per cent.

As the policy is introduced over the coming months, offenders convicted of certain violent or sexual crimes who were previously eligible for release after serving two-thirds of their sentence will instead be freed at the halfway point.

Ministers have attempted to reassure victims that there would be thorough risk assessments of prisoners before release and there would be a ‘presumption’ that they would be electronically tagged on release.

However, tagging schemes are in disarray.

In July spending watchdogs warned the public were being put at risk by major problems with electronic tagging.

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It found criminals ordered to take part in electronic monitoring schemes never even get a tag fitted.

In its report the National Audit Office (NAO) also highlighted concerns over whether tagging could be ‘safely scaled up’ to replace jail sentences.

The NAO’s report said: ‘HM Prisons and Probation Service is continuing to scale the service while key elements are not yet working effectively, leading the service to operate beyond its stated risk appetite and tolerance levels.

‘This increases the risk of poor performance and threats to public protection escalating as demand grows.’

More than 5,400 criminals supposed to have been tagged by the end of March had not been fitted with the devices, it emerged.

Another watchdog report, published earlier this week, found that almost half of electronic tags are not fitted on time, putting victims at risk.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation said some criminals were waiting up to five months to be tagged, leading to repeated breaches of court and prison orders.

And in a further development, a joint report by the probation and police inspectorates warned that dangerous stalkers were walking the streets despite breaching their electronic tagging orders more than 30 times.

Labour’s previous early release scheme – allowing offenders out after serving 40 per cent of their sentences – has seen 70,066 criminals freed between its launch in September 2024 and the end of March. 

The replacement scheme, coming into force tomorrow, offers even larger sentence reductions for many criminals and applies to a far wider range of criminals, including those convicted of sexual and serious violent offences.

Mr Burnham paused the programme over the summer and later announced that criminals convicted of rape, serious child sex offences and grooming would be excluded.

Then there was a further outcry, with the widow of murdered PC Andrew Harper blasting the scheme as ‘deplorable’.

Lissie Harper – who married the officer one month before he was dragged to his death by a car in 2019 – blasted Labour after it emerged that two of his killers would be eligible for early release under the new scheme.

The PM changed the terms of the scheme again to exclude those convicted of unlawful killing, including all forms of manslaughter.

The previous early release programme led to distasteful scenes at its launch when lags celebrated their freedom outside jails.

Some were collected by friends in expensive sports cars or popped bottles of bubbly, while others vowed to be lifelong Labour voters as a result of their early release.

Ministry of Justice figures have already suggested the scheme may have played a role in a rise in reoffending rates.

The proven reoffending rate rose to 29.9 per cent for the period July to September 2024, up 1.9 per cent on the same period the previous year – covering about three weeks after prison early releases began under Labour’s first scheme.

An MoJ document said ‘various policy changes’ including early release ‘may have impacts upon … reoffending rates’.

The early release scheme was set out in Labour’s Sentencing Act which also contained separate measures which, from March this year, largely barred the courts from imposing prison sentences of 12 months or less.

Senior police chiefs have repeatedly warned the measures as a whole will lead to an increase in crime and cost forces £400million a year to deal with.

Meriton founder Harry Triguboff says his lifelong goal has been to put roofs over Australians’ heads, insisting he has done “more than anyone else” to expand the nation’s housing supply after millionaire Dick Smith accused him of greed earlier this year.

Triguboff, Australia’s second-richest person with an estimated fortune of $34.1 billion, said he had remained focused on property and housing throughout more than six decades in the industry.

“It’s not about being the richest, it’s about winning,” the 93-year-old developer said.

“Rich” represents growth to Triguboff, while growth represents success. He said every battle he had fought over the past 60 years had helped him build more and achieve more.

“To this day, I am still working, still contributing and still fighting. I’m still doing what I’ve done my entire life. The extra zeros just help put more roofs over heads. It is about the people; it always has been.”

Triguboff said he believed no one had contributed more to Australian housing. He described himself as relentless once he committed to an objective, adding that he had repeatedly challenged those who stood in his way.

He said he recognised years ago that Australia was heading towards a housing shortfall, even as governments warned of an oversupply while he pushed to increase construction.

Triguboff estimates Meriton has supplied more than 80,000 homes, but said at least twice that number would have been needed to prevent the shortage now facing the country. Without his battles with the system, he added, the figure would have been roughly half as large.

“I know there will never be another Harry Triguboff and there will only ever be one Meriton. Nobody could start today the way I started more than 60 years ago.”

He maintained that Meriton could not have delivered so many homes without his willingness to confront existing rules and institutions.

Triguboff also pointed to his early adoption of development models that have since become more common. “Built-to-rent and serviced apartments may seem like post-millennium ingenuity, but I was doing both back in the 1990s,” he said. Adapting to changing conditions, he added, meant having alternatives when the market shifted.

However, he said Australia would need further major changes to address its housing crisis.

“My job now is to work on the problems holding housing back. Too often that means fighting the governments and the banks. It would be far better if we could work together,” he said.

Triguboff argued that many long-standing laws, regulations and legislative settings must be modernised if Australia is to achieve meaningful change in housing.

He said skilled workers were being kept out of the country, while established developers and builders were collapsing under soaring construction costs. Essential workers, particularly in Sydney, were also leaving because they could no longer afford to live in the city.

“How is any of that driving the market in the right direction?” he asked.

Triguboff has previously argued soaring house prices and higher immigration were essential for Australia’s future. 

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‘If prices keep dropping, buyers will disappear. It’s natural instinct to adopt a wait and see approach. The mindset is, “Why buy today what will be cheaper tomorrow?”

‘As people stop buying, they stop working hard. What is the point of working hard if prices drop?’

Triguboff went on to say that to counter the issue, Australia’s population had to keep growing to turbocharge the market.

‘This country must grow. It’s too big to be left in its present state.

‘To develop we need more people, but we argue who should come. When they do come here, they mix very well with the local people.’

But Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith accused Triguboff of utter greed.

It’s a sign of utter greed from one of our billionaires, because he’s already worth over $20 billion dollars, and he just wants more money,’ Smith said.

‘He’s got incredible political influence, and he’s encouraging politicians to have record numbers of immigration so he can make more money.

‘I don’t understand it. He could never spend his money; he’s in his 90s!’

‘I’m pro-immigration but at levels of 70,000 a year which would level off our population at 30 million,’ Smith said (Australia’s population hit 28 million in June).

‘Our present rate puts that number at over 100 million by the end of this century which is when our grandkids will still be alive … and not many people believe that’s a sensible number.

‘You can’t grow forever – our system of capitalism requires endless growth but that’s impossible.

‘If we planned now and went to 70,000 immigrants a year, then our birth rate is less than replacement level because Australian families are sensible.

‘They realise that having too many kids make it too hard for them to buy houses, which I believe should be a given right in Australia.

‘That’s now impossible for a lot of young people, and that’s because we’ve had such incredible population growth.’

Smith also suggested there were some more cynical reasons behind Triguboff’s comments, pointing to his property portfolio as an example.

‘He pushes for more immigration so he can sell more units; I think he owns over 1000 units that he rents out to people who can’t afford their own,’ he said.

‘This incredible difference in wealth really worries me; we have thirty per cent of our population living pay packet to pay packet with no savings at all, and then you have this billionaire worth over twenty billion who’s constantly pushing the government to get more people in so he can make more money.

‘Harry – you have enough money. You don’t need any more!’

Australia’s job market has become “dismal”, with jobseekers facing intense competition driven by rapid immigration, an overemphasis on university qualifications and a shortage of open positions, according to a recruitment specialist.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the unemployment rate climbed from 4.5 per cent in July to 4.6 per cent in August, marking its highest point since the Covid pandemic.

The number of unemployed people rose by 28,200 during the month, reaching 722,900.

Tammie Ballis, a leading recruiter who runs Realistic Careers in Sydney, said she believed “too much immigration too quickly” had added to the surge of applicants competing for the same jobs.

“We have seen too many people enter the job market in a short amount of time, and it is unfair to both immigrants and Australians,” she told the Daily Mail on Thursday.

“Hundreds of people are now applying for the same jobs.

“Employers simply cannot work through every application. That means even candidates with the right experience may be overlooked because of the sheer number of applicants.”

Many jobseekers already hold university degrees, but Ms Ballis said some were struggling because they lacked hands-on experience.

“Young people are leaving university believing they are qualified when employers do not necessarily see them that way. Employers want experience,” Ms Ballis said.

“In my opinion, unless a degree is required to work in a profession such as medicine or engineering, TAFE and practical experience are better options.

“Going to university after gaining a solid amount of work experience is the better path.”

Ms Ballis also argued that uncertainty in the employment market was encouraging workers to remain in their current roles, further reducing the number of vacancies.

“People know the job market is tough, so they are staying where they are. That means less movement and fewer jobs becoming available,” she said.

“The economy is not performing strongly either, and companies have introduced recruitment freezes — a complete pause on hiring.

“In some cases, when an employee leaves, the company may decide not to replace them.”

Although the challenging employment conditions are affecting Australians across the workforce, Ms Ballis said young university graduates were among the groups facing the greatest difficulties.

“Young people are turning to retail and gig-economy work to make ends meet,” the recruiter said.

“Those seeking to start new careers are finding it particularly difficult because they are competing against candidates with years of experience.”

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To deal with the struggling job market, Ms Ballis encouraged employees to stay in their role unless it was ‘unbearable’.

‘You’re in the best position if you are comfortable and can tolerate your job,’ she said in a TikTok.

‘You can then look for other jobs slowly, because you’re not desperate, not in a hurry, can take your time and can apply effectively.’

Ms Ballis added that those who opted to rush into a new role could ultimately regret the move.

‘I wouldn’t be jumping on anything too soon because you might not like where you’re going and you can’t go to your old job,’ she said.

She also reminded workers that newer employees could have their employment terminated first when redundancies are announced. 

For those looking for their next job opportunity, Ms Ballis said there were a few things to remember.   

‘Have an easy-to-read CV, ring the phone number on the job advertisement, reach out to recruitment agencies to get contract work if possible and network,’ she told the Daily Mail. 

‘If you don’t have the experience required, start from the bottom and work your way up. 

‘It is taking longer to get a job in this market, and it will probably get worse. 

‘You are just a CV until you get an interview.’

Many Australians agreed with Ms Ballis’s assessment of the job market, with some sharing their own struggles with finding work. 

‘I’ve applied for about 40 jobs and only had one interview, but wasn’t happy with the pay, so just staying where I am. Australia is in trouble,’ one said. 

Another added: ‘I was sworn at and could not tolerate it any more, but held on for dear life for all the reasons you mentioned. However, mental health does have a price.’

‘The country is cooked,’ a third said.