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<p>The following table shows the number of prisoners who were eligible for HDC, and
how many and what proportion were released in each of the last five years. Because
of the way in which data is recorded, the figures relating to the number eligible
are higher than the true picture, as they include all offenders serving sentences
of the right length, even though some do not meet the other eligibility criteria (see
footnote 1).</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015<sup>(3)</sup></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Number
eligible for release on HDC <sup>(1,2)</sup></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>45,203</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>43,669</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>43,660</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>44,697</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>40,543</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Number
released on HDC</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>8,614</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>8,319</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>9,041</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>9,312</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>14,769</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Percentage
released</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>19%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>19%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>21%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>21%</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>36%</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="6"><p>(1) This is the number of offenders serving sentences of between 12
weeks and just under 4 years and therefore potentially eligible for release on Home
Detention Curfew (HDC) in the relevant period. However, it includes offenders who
are in fact statutorily ineligible for HDC, such as registered sex offenders or those
with a previous recall for breach of curfew on HDC (prisoners not eligible for HDC
for these reasons cannot be identified from the data that is held). Moreover, certain
offenders are presumed unsuitable for HDC and will only be considered for release
in exceptional circumstances.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><p>(2) An offender
may be eligible for release on HDC in more than one year. This is because an offender
may become eligible for release on HDC in one year and remain in the prison population
to be eligible for release as a new year begins.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="6"><p>(3)
Figures for 2015 and earlier were produced using an older methodology than for the
years 2016 to date.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Data on the number of prisoners
refused HDC is not collated centrally and could not be obtained except at disproportionate
cost.</p><p> </p><p>A prisoner may be released on or after their HDC eligibility date
but may not lawfully be released before the eligibility date; such a release would
be counted as a “release in error”. HMPPS publish annual data on releases in error
but this does not indicate whether the offender was released on HDC and this could
not be established except at disproportionate cost. This data is available here:</p><p>
</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018</a></p>
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