Burnham Reviews Early Release Policy as 2 Killers Could Leave Prison After 13 Years
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 22
Burnham Reviews Early Release Policy as 2 Killers Could Leave Prison After 13 Years
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 22
Summary
Andy Burnham said he will examine the early prisoner release policy in detail with the justice secretary before it proceeds further, while stopping short of promising to scrap it.
Two men convicted of killing police officer Andrew Harper could qualify for early release under the new Sentencing Act, after his mother called the prospect an "insult."
Tens of thousands of inmates have been released early since September 2024 to free up space, with Burnham saying years of underinvestment created "an unacceptable situation" in overcrowded prisons.
The Sentencing Act, passed earlier this year under Keir Starmer's government, was designed to ease chronic pressure across the prison estate by reducing time served for some offenders.