An inmate released early returns to prison after committing 11 crimes in five days

On October 1, some 700 prisoners were released early in the United Kingdom under a Government program to decongest British prisons, almost to their maximum capacity. Among them was Michael Bogle, 38, registered as a sex offender, who did not take 24 hours after leaving prison to commit shoplifting crimes again, for which he has already been put back behind bars.

According to the Daily Mail newspaper, the same afternoon he was released, Bogle stole powdered laundry detergent worth more than 100 pounds - 118 euros, at the exchange rate - from a Sainsbury's supermarket. During the three days following his release, he stole more detergent worth £98.85 – €116 – from a Tesco store. Later, he was seen again entering a Sainsbury's up to three times to steal, despite being prohibited from approaching this store. In total, he committed up to 11 crimes in the five days he was out of jail.

Bogle had served just 78 days of his sentence for breaching a criminal behavior restraining order and a 32-week suspended sentence for shoplifting. After leaving Wandsworth prison on October 1, the inmate acknowledged to the media stationed there that there was a risk that he would steal again, "although I hope not."

Matt Twist, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has expressed his shock at the speed with which Bogle has returned to offending: "While it is not surprising that someone with this background would offend again, the speed with which he did so and the impact on frontline policing is astonishing," he said.

When caught on security cameras stealing from supermarkets, the police found the repeat offender, who has 16 previous convictions for theft, property damage and indecent exposure. He was arrested last Monday and pleaded guilty on Tuesday, for which he was sentenced to eight months in prison for four counts of shoplifting, failure to comply with court orders and burglary of commercial premises.

The early release program for prisoners plans to release 4,500 prisoners on the streets in stages until June next year, a figure that was reduced from the initial 6,000 prisoners after the intervention of the British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, following strong criticism from opposition parties, relatives of the victims and attacks by some inmates.