Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Andy Burnham has announced a halt to a planned scheme that would have allowed thousands of prisoners in England and Wales to be eligible for early release. The decision follows strong criticism from victims and survivors, including the widow of PC Andrew Harper, who condemned the possibility of the killers of her husband being freed prematurely as “deplorable.”
The scheme, introduced under the Sentencing Act and scheduled to commence in September, aimed to reduce prison overcrowding by permitting some offenders to leave prison earlier. Under the act, less serious offenders could have been released after serving one-third of their sentence instead of half, with the remainder spent under community supervision. More serious offenders would have been eligible for release after serving half their sentence instead of two-thirds. The government intends to monitor those released closely and return them to prison if they reoffend.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris explained that the pause was intended to provide “victims and survivors certainty” and to ensure the policy is implemented properly. A review will also assess the suitability of information given to victims and survivors regarding early release decisions. Burnham emphasized the commitment to public safety, stating, “No prisoners will be let out under this policy until we have conducted an urgent review and done everything we can to minimise risk to the public.” He added, “Where changes are needed, we will not hesitate to make them.”
The controversy surrounding the scheme intensified following objections from PC Andrew Harper’s family. Harper was killed in 2019 when dragged by a car by three teenagers. Two of his killers, both sentenced to 13 years, would have become eligible under the early release provisions from June 2027. Harper’s widow described the proposals as “deplorable” and criticized politicians for making decisions without fully considering their effects on victims’ families. Similarly, Harper’s mother stated that her son had not received “proper justice” and expressed the feeling shared by many victims about the scheme. In recent weeks, thousands of victims received letters informing them of the impending policy.
Support for pausing the scheme extends beyond the government’s ranks. Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman called the original early release plan the “wrong course of action,” emphasizing that victims deserve certainty and reassurance. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the pause and called for offenders convicted of serious offenses like murder and rape to be permanently excluded from any early release arrangements. Prison officers’ union leader Steve Gillan agreed that public protection and victims’ interests must take precedence, even as some within the prison service expressed concern about the strain on capacity. One officer warned the delay could escalate overcrowding, while another praised the decision for prioritizing public safety
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.