The program, originally slated for September, is now delayed until October to allow for these significant changes to the sentencing reforms.
The decision comes after intense pressure from victims’ campaigners, MPs, and frontline officers. Burnham paused the initial plan on July 23 to conduct an urgent review of the inherited scheme, which aimed to prevent the prison system from reaching total capacity. While the Prime Minister has now blocked some of the most serious sexual offenders, the policy continues to allow the early release of domestic abusers and certain killers.
The Case of PC Andrew Harper and the Limits of the U-Turn
The government’s refusal to exclude all killers has sparked outrage among the family of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in 2019. Under the new sentencing changes, prisoners serving four years or more may be eligible for release at the halfway point of their term, rather than the previous two-thirds mark.
This specific rule applies to Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, two of Harper’s killers jailed for 13 years in 2020 for manslaughter. While the main perpetrator, Henry Long, remains ineligible for early release, the possibility of Bowers and Cole leaving prison early has been described by widow Lissie Harper as disgusting
.
Prison Capacity and the Risk of Systemic Collapse
The drive for early release is rooted in a critical lack of space. Between 2010 and 2024, only 500 new prison places were added while 23 prisons were closed. This failure has left the adult male prison estate between 98.0% and 99.7% full from October 2022 to August 2024, according to the National Audit Office.
Burnham argued that without these reforms, the justice system would grind to a halt
, potentially leaving police unable to make arrests and courts unable to incarcerate new offenders. He stated that he pushed to the limits of what is possible without risking a total collapse of the system within months.
To address the long-term crisis, the government has pledged a prison-building program to deliver 14,000 new places by 2031.
Community Supervision and the £10 Million Victim Support Package
To mitigate the risks of releasing offenders early, the government is introducing tougher community measures. Most released offenders will be electronically tagged and subject to longer supervision periods and new restriction zones agreed upon with victims. Probation officers will also have the power to ban offenders from pubs, community events, and driving.
Burnham also announced an extra £10 million in funding for frontline victim support services, which will include a new national helpline and trauma-informed contacts.
Criticism from Watchdogs and Political Opponents
Despite the exclusions for rapists and child sex offenders, the plan remains under fire for its treatment of domestic abuse perpetrators. Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs described the decision to allow these offenders to be released as wrong
, stating it puts the lives of victims at risk.
Andrea Simon, the London victim’s commissioner, expressed concern over a shortage of probation officers capable of handling complex offenders, warning that survivors of abuse will be alarmed by the lack of robust community supervision.
Political opposition has also been swift.
The government maintains that the current move does not require immediate changes to existing law before the October restart, though they may amend legislation in the long term to exclude further categories of offenders.
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