Prime Minister Andy Burnham Said He Wanted to Go Further But That Doing So Would Risk the Prison System Collapsing

The widow of PC Andrew Harper has called it "disgusting" that her husband's killers remain eligible for an early release scheme in England and Wales. The government said prisoners convicted of rape, grooming, and serious child sex offences will be excluded from the scheme, which was paused in July due to prison overcrowding and will restart in October. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he wanted to go further but that doing so would risk the prison system collapsing.

Lissie Harper said she was "beyond appalled" that Andrew's killers could soon be free. The changes include an extra £10 million for victim support services and a new national helpline. Offenders serving four years or more will be released halfway through their sentences instead of two-thirds, while those with shorter sentences could be freed after a third of their time.

The changes will be phased in from October, starting with prisoners serving less than 575 days, up to those jailed for 12 years or more by June 2027. Offenders will be tagged and face "restriction zones" and longer supervision. A prison officer said the system was "creaking at the seams, and a probation officer questioned how staff would manage earlier releases. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy called the announcement a "U-turn" that "doesn't go far enough, while Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs criticised the failure to exclude domestic abuse perpetrators.