i expect admin will move it - he tries to keep things SE23 specific here.

However, back to your point. You are reacting to the usual poor reporting we see nowdays; headline grabbing wiithout regard to actual facts. The policy is not to free all criminals, but to prevent minor criminals getting sucked into the criminal underworld. Prisons are great places for networking! According to the Chair of the Magistrates, prison is only used as a last resort. If you can deal with the problem earlier, there will be less need for prisons.

In the meantime, the government will continue building prisons.