Burnham Bars PC Harper's Killers From 1 October Early Release, Expanding Exemptions
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 30
Burnham Bars PC Harper's Killers From 1 October Early Release, Expanding Exemptions
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 30
Summary
PC Andrew Harper's two manslaughter killers will no longer qualify for the 1 October early-release scheme after Andy Burnham said unlawful killing offenders must stay in prison.
Hundreds more inmates will now remain behind bars, with the revised exclusions also covering indecent assault, death by dangerous driving, historic child sex offences and causing or allowing a child's death.
Burnham said the extra pressure on prisons—already 97.6% full with 86,843 inmates on 24 August—would be managed by deporting hundreds of foreign prisoners, adapting existing prison space and releasing some IPP prisoners.
IPP reform is set to become a major offset: 2,271 people were still serving those abolished indefinite sentences in June, including 856 never released, and the government plans legislation to end them by this Parliament.
The change follows months of pressure from Harper's family and police colleagues after Cole and Albert Bowers, jailed for 13 years in 2020, appeared set to benefit from a policy already narrowed earlier this month.