Charities warn against ministers getting powers to stop early release from jail

Measure would stop prisoners from being let out automatically part-way through sentences if deemed a threat to public

Charities have warned against new powers that would allow ministers to block the automatic release of dangerous prisoners and potentially make them serve their full sentence.

The rule change is part of measures introduced to protect the public and would allow ministers to override judges' fixed-term sentences that set automatic release dates at halfway or two-thirds through offenders' jail terms.