Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a temporary pause on a government scheme that would have allowed thousands of prisoners to be released early. The decision came Thursday evening following public outcry over the potential early release of individuals convicted of serious crimes, including two of the killers of police officer Andrew Harper.
The Sentencing Act, due to take effect on September 2, planned to release approximately 6,000 inmates early to alleviate pressure on crowded prisons. However, the scheme faced immediate backlash from victims' families and political figures.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the pause as insufficient, advocating for permanent exemptions for those convicted of murder, rape, and child abuse. "Your scheme is still letting offenders out early, today, every day," Badenoch stated, emphasizing that the early release policy has already been linked to further crimes, citing the case of Liam Matthews, who allegedly killed Lewis Bell hours after being released under a similar government initiative.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris confirmed that around 700 prisoners initially scheduled for release in September would not be freed as planned. He stated that the pause would allow for an urgent review to ensure the implementation of the Sentencing Act properly considers the concerns of victims and survivors. "Keeping the public safe will always be my top priority," Burnham posted on X. "I have instructed my team to put a pause on the sentencing changes that were due to start in September. Where changes are needed, I will not hesitate to make them."
Among those whose potential early release sparked anger were Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were convicted of manslaughter for their roles in the 2019 death of PC Andrew Harper. They had been sentenced to 13 years and could have become eligible for release after serving half their sentence under the new act, rather than the standard two-thirds. PC Harper died at the age of 28 while responding to a quad bike theft. His widow, Lissie Harper, described the scheme as "deplorable," and his mother, Debbie Adlam, called the pause "not enough."
Analysis by the Conservative Party suggests that nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of rape and child abuse could have been eligible for release under the scheme, including over 100 rapists serving sentences exceeding 15 years. The government has not yet specified whether these categories of offenders will be permanently excluded from future early release considerations.