Justice Secretary Alex Norris has apologized to the family of murdered police constable Andrew Harper regarding the early release of his killers, but has declined to reverse the decision. Norris informed Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, that "the prison system would fall completely" if thousands of inmates were not released early.
The apology follows a decision by Andy Burnham to proceed with the early release of thousands of convicted individuals, including those serving sentences for killings and violent offenses. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had previously paused these plans amidst public outcry over the proposed early release of two of PC Harper's killers.
Following an urgent review, the government confirmed that rapists and the most serious sex offenders will be excluded from the early release program. However, the early release of thousands of other serious criminals, including killers and individuals convicted of domestic abuse, is slated to proceed this autumn. This includes the planned January release of two of the three teenagers convicted of PC Harper's murder in 2019. Harper was killed when he became caught in a strap attached to a getaway car and was dragged for over a mile.
PC Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, described the potential early release of his killers as a "disgusting betrayal" and expressed being "beyond appalled and bristling with anger." Andrew's mother, Debbie Adlam, stated that while Norris apologized, he explained the necessity of the releases due to impending prison overcrowding. "We're paying the price for it," Adlam said. "It feels like we're letting Andrew down again."
Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg voiced his disappointment, noting that if PC Harper's killers were convicted today, they would receive life sentences under the law created in his name and would not be eligible for early release. He added that the decision is "demoralizing for all police officers and our fellow emergency service workers."
Prime Minister Sunak stated that while he wished to go further in preventing releases, it was not possible without risking the collapse of the prison system, which he argued would pose a greater risk to public safety. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the partial climbdown, asserting that "killers, violent offenders, men who have terrorised their partners and more will all still walk out of prison in October." The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs, also criticized the decision to not exclude domestic abuse perpetrators, stating it "puts victims lives at risk."
The early release scheme means that thousands of serious offenders who would typically serve two-thirds of their sentence will now be released after serving half. Less serious offenders will be released after a third of their sentence. These changes are intended to be permanent, with implementation delayed until October. Justice Secretary Norris indicated that those released early would face "tougher supervision," including electronic tagging, exclusion zones, and drug testing. The use of chemical castration for sexual offenders will be doubled, and probation officers will gain powers to impose driving bans and restrict access to pubs and football matches.
The changes are expected to reduce the number of serious offenders eligible for early release by approximately 1,000, bringing the total to around 5,000. Those excluded include individuals convicted of rape and the most serious child sex and grooming offenses. However, offenders convicted of manslaughter, domestic abuse, child pornography, drug dealing, and wounding with intent remain eligible.
Mr. Burnham defended the plan, stating public safety is his "top priority" but that the prison crisis made early release unavoidable. The government has pledged to accelerate the prison building program, though specific details were not provided. The controversy surrounding the early release of PC Harper's killers, Henry Long, Jessie Cole, and Albert Bowers, continues to draw significant public attention and criticism.
