Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced changes to an early release scheme, excluding individuals convicted of unlawful killing and historical child sex offenses. The move, intended to address prison overcrowding, will result in "hundreds" of people remaining incarcerated.
This policy shift follows widespread public condemnation of the scheme, particularly after it emerged that Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, two of the three killers of Police Constable Andrew Harper, could have been eligible for release halfway through their 13-year sentences. The pair were passengers in a car that dragged PC Harper down a road in Berkshire in August 2019 as they fled the scene of a quad bike theft. The driver, Henry Long, who received a 16-year sentence, is not eligible for early release under current rules.
Burnham stated he shared the public's "concern and anger" regarding the potential early release of prisoners like PC Harper's killers. "That's why I took action during my first weeks as Prime Minister to block some of the very worst in society being released before they should," he said. He indicated that the updated policy would also prevent offenders convicted of indecent assault, manslaughter, and death by dangerous driving from early release.
The early release initiative, launched by the Labour government in September 2024, initially allowed certain prisoners to be freed after serving 40% of their sentence, a reduction from the typical 50%. A further change, the 2026 Sentencing Act, proposed lowering this threshold to one-third of a fixed-term sentence.
Prior to this latest announcement, Burnham had already excluded rapists and child sex offenders from the scheme. With these two exemptions in place, the number of individuals expected to be released early under the government's sentencing changes has been revised down from an initial estimate of 6,000 to approximately 5,000.
Unlawful act manslaughter is defined as causing death during the commission of another illegal act. The Prime Minister's office indicated that additional prison capacity would also be generated through the deportation of foreign nationals and the release of inmates serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, which were issued between 2005 and 2012 to offenders deemed a significant risk to the public.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris is undertaking a review of the changes to the Sentencing Act, with a full report anticipated upon Parliament's return from its summer recess. The precise details of the latest adjustments are expected to be disclosed by the Justice Secretary at that time.
