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Prime Minister Andy Burnham has initiated an urgent review to uncover whether any members of grooming gangs might be eligible for early release under the government’s existing early release program. This announcement follows concerns raised by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who highlighted the risk that some child sex offenders could potentially be freed significantly before completing their full prison terms.
Badenoch emphasized that certain offences, such as indecent assault, were not explicitly excluded from the early release scheme. This omission has sparked worries because several offenders convicted of indecent assault in historic grooming gang cases, including a group of five men jailed in Bradford, could potentially benefit from the scheme. In response, Burnham’s spokesperson confirmed that the Ministry of Justice has been instructed to undertake a thorough investigation to ensure all grooming-related cases are properly identified and addressed without delay. “This work is happening urgently,” the spokesperson added, underlining the prime minister’s personal commitment to ensuring these offenders face appropriate consequences.
The current review focuses on identifying those who might be released early, although the government has yet to confirm if this will lead to preventing any early releases for grooming-related offenders. Badenoch described Burnham’s intervention as “another U-turn secured” following her earlier letter expressing concern. The government plans to release approximately 5,000 prisoners early across England and Wales as an attempt to address overcrowding in the prison system. Although Burnham has excluded some serious offenders, including those convicted of rape and significant child sex crimes, from early release starting in October, many others—including those convicted of indecent assault—could still be freed after serving a smaller portion of their sentence than previously mandated.
The prime minister acknowledged the challenge of excluding more offenders fully because of prison overcrowding, cautioning that doing so could risk the collapse of the prison system and increase public danger. As of early August, the prison population in England and Wales stood at 86,495, representing 97% of available capacity. The system has struggled to keep up with the growing number of inmates over recent decades, leading to difficult decisions about early release. Notably, offenders convicted under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 for indecent assault on children—such as the five men from Bradford convicted in 2005 and individuals recently sentenced in separate cases in 2024—fall outside the government’s list of disqualifying offences and therefore might qualify for early release. The government has not yet disclosed the specific prisoners who will be released.
The repercussions of the scheme have provoked strong reactions from victims’ families. For example, the mother of PC Andrew Harper, who was fatally dragged by a vehicle in 2019 during a crime, expressed devastation upon learning that two men convicted in relation to her son’s death remain eligible for early release. Justice Secretary Alex Norris has publicly apologized to families affected by the changes, acknowledging they are “carrying the can from previous failures.” The revised release plan will proceed in stages, beginning with prisoners serving shorter sentences and gradually addressing those with longer terms by mid-2027, with the scale of releases determined by prison population trends
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