Hundreds of prisoners are being released early in England and Wales as part of a government plan to ease overcrowding, alongside new court reforms.

On Tuesday, about 650 offenders in England and Wales serving up to two and a half years will be released after a third of their sentence as part of the government's early release scheme, while probation union Napo prepares a strike ballot over a 5% pay offer and MPs consider court reforms dropping judge-only trials but ending jury trials for 5,500 cases.