Prisoners convicted of rape, grooming, and serious child sex offenses will be excluded from a forthcoming early release scheme in England and Wales, the government announced Monday. The revised scheme is set to restart in October.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham had previously paused the plan in July to conduct an urgent review amid significant backlash from victims and survivors. The review followed concerns that the scheme, intended to alleviate unprecedented prison overcrowding, could allow individuals convicted of serious crimes, such as the killers of Police Constable Andrew Harper, to be released early.
"I fully understand the anger, anxiety and distress that's been caused. I've heard that loud and clear," Burnham stated in announcing the changes. However, he noted that further exclusions would risk the prison system collapsing and putting the public at greater risk.
Lissie Harper, PC Harper's widow, expressed dismay that the offenders who killed her husband in 2019 could have been eligible for early release, calling the prospect "disgusting."
The updated scheme will now explicitly bar individuals convicted of rape and child sexual offenses. This change does not necessitate immediate amendments to existing legislation but may be addressed in future updates. Offenders with sentences of four years or more will now be eligible for release halfway through their sentences, a reduction from the previous two-thirds requirement. Those with less serious sentences may be freed after serving one-third of their term, down from one-half.
The changes will be implemented in phases, beginning with prisoners serving sentences under 575 days. Inmates with sentences of up to 12 years will become eligible for early release by June 2027.
Under the new provisions, released offenders will generally be subject to electronic tagging and longer periods of supervision, including "restriction zones." The exact number of individuals released will depend on the evolving prison population.
An additional £10 million has been allocated to frontline victim support services, including a new national helpline. Separately, individuals convicted of rape or serious child sex offenses who serve their full sentence will face enhanced surveillance upon release, including 12 months of GPS monitoring and strengthened community supervision.
Critics, including Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy, have described the announcement as a "U-turn" that "doesn't go far enough," asserting that some child sex offenders and killers will still be released early. Dame Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, criticized the decision not to exclude domestic abuse perpetrators, stating, "It is critical that no abuser is released in October unless I am confident that victims' safety is not being compromised."
Prison officials have expressed concerns that delaying releases until October may not be sufficient to address overcrowding, with one telling the BBC the system is "creaking at the seams." Probation officers have also questioned whether the changes introduce new measures for managing earlier releases.