David Blunkett will today urge prison governors to release early of hundreds of non-violent minor offenders and boost the expansion of a controversial electronic tagging scheme.

The Tories have attacked the move, warning the home secretary that sentencing policy should not be driven by a crisis in the capacity of the UK's overflowing jails.

The move, which will only apply to inmates classed as non-violent, has also been condemned by the victims of crime trust.