Andy Burnham announces review of prisoner early release scheme

Andy Burnham, the prime minister, has announced that he will review a government policy about releasing prisoners early. He will do this with the justice secretary.

This plan will allow thousands of prisoners to serve shorter sentences. It is a response to the problem of too many people being in prison. The scheme is planned to start in September.

Burnham said he has talked to the new justice secretary. He mentioned that they will review the policy together and share more information later. He wants to be certain that all parts of the policy have been carefully examined before it is put into action.

The early release of prisoners has become a major topic recently. This is partly because of concerns from the family of Andrew Harper, a police officer who died. His mother felt it was an insult that some of the people who killed her son could be released early.

Burnham expressed his understanding of the family’s feelings. He acknowledged that there is significant pressure on prison spaces. He explained that the country did not invest enough in prisons a decade ago, which has led to the current difficult situation. He promised to look at every detail of the policy with the justice secretary.

The plan means that prisoners convicted of serious crimes like murder and rape, as well as sex offenders, could be freed after serving half of their sentence instead of two-thirds. Even those with less serious crimes will be eligible for automatic release after serving half their time, if they have followed prison rules. This scheme is part of the Sentencing Act and does not have exceptions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, domestic abuse, or terrorism.

The policy has faced strong disagreement from groups that support victims and from other political parties and some members of parliament. They have warned that the scheme could put victims of abuse at risk. These groups are urging the government to make reviewing this early release plan a top priority.