The United Kingdom's government has placed a temporary halt on a new prison early release scheme following widespread criticism, particularly after a fugitive child rapist was found to be eligible for early release despite never having served a day of his sentence. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced an urgent review of the policy, which was scheduled to begin September 2.
Brian Green, 76, was sentenced in absentia to 22 years in prison in 2024 for five counts of rape after fleeing bail before his trial. He is believed to be in Thailand. His victim was informed by liaison officers that Green would be eligible for early release even if apprehended. The victim expressed dismay, stating, "This is not justice. How can this be right?"
Under the new Sentencing Act, offenders typically serve two-thirds of their sentence, but the paused scheme would have allowed some to be released after serving just half. Justice Secretary Alex Norris will lead the review.
"Keeping the public safe will always be my top priority," Sunak said in a statement. "I am working closely with the new Justice Secretary and have instructed my team to put a pause on the changes that were due to start in September. No prisoners will be let out under this policy until we have conducted an urgent review and done everything we can to minimize risk to the public. Where changes are needed, we will not hesitate to make them."
The controversy intensified with reports that two individuals convicted in the death of PC Andrew Harper, a police officer killed in 2019, might also be eligible for early release under the scheme. Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 13 years, could have been released after serving half their sentence instead of two-thirds. PC Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, called the scheme "deplorable."
Kemi Badenoch, a government official, criticized the pause as insufficient, advocating for permanent exemptions for killers, rapists, and child abusers from early release policies. She pointed to a previous case where an inmate, Liam Matthews, allegedly killed Lewis Bell just hours after being released early under a similar government scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding.
The Ministry of Justice has not yet specified whether all categories of offenders, including those convicted of violent crimes, will be excluded from future iterations of the policy. The pause is expected to complicate release plans for thousands of inmates due to become eligible for early release.