Burnham Pauses 6,000-Prisoner Early Release Scheme as Harper Widow's Objection Puts September Plan in Doubt
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 23
Burnham Pauses 6,000-Prisoner Early Release Scheme as Harper Widow's Objection Puts September Plan in Doubt
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 23
Summary
No prisoners will be released under the policy until an urgent review is completed, Burnham said, freezing a September rollout meant to start with inmates serving up to 19 months.
The pause followed Lissie Harper's warning that freeing two of PC Andrew Harper's killers early would be "deplorable"; Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole had been due for possible release in June 2027 under the new rules.
The Sentencing Act 2026 would let most fixed-term prisoners leave after serving one-third of their sentence rather than half, with up to 6,000 offenders expected to benefit and probation teams already under strain.
Scrapping the scheme outright would require a parliamentary vote, and delaying it risks reviving the prison overcrowding crisis that drove emergency releases and wider sentencing reforms.