The mother of PC Andrew Harper has said her son has not been given "proper justice" and that "every victim will be feeling the same" about the early prison release scheme. PC Harper, 28, was killed in 2019 when he was dragged by a car down a country road as three teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire.
Under the Sentencing Act, which is due to be implemented in September, two of the men involved could be freed early. As the deadline for releases approaches, Andy Burnham has reignited a row over the legislation after he said he would review the plans.
Police officer Andrew Harper suffered fatal injuries while on duty in 2019
But, two prison staffers told the BBC that governors were told to stop work on the implementation of the Sentencing Act two weeks ago. The government maintains there has been no decision to delay its introduction.
PC Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, said the release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers - two of the passengers in the getaway car which killed Harper - was "sprung" on her family.
Cole and Bowers - who were 17 at the time - were sentenced to 13 years in custody for manslaughter but could be released after six years under the act.
The driver of the car, Henry Long - who was 18 - was jailed for 16 years for manslaughter but would not be eligible for early release.
"It just feels like another let down for Andrew really, when you look at the horrific way he was killed, we have to live with that," she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.
"The feeling that Andrew hasn't been given proper justice, it is very personal obviously... every victim will be feeling the same."
The Sentencing Act is the government's attempt to find a permanent, more sustainable solution to a prison overcrowding crisis after an emergency scheme was introduced by the Labour government in 2024. Tens of thousands of inmates have already been let out of prison early under those measures.
Unlike the 2024 plan, the new act includes no exemptions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, domestic abuse or terrorism.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday he could not commit to changing the policy completely but would "look at it in detail before we go further forward". He also acknowledged there was "pressure on prison places" and a failure to invest in the system created "an unacceptable situation".
"look at the big picture for the country"
Adlam said her message to Burnham was to "look at the big picture for the country".
"As a country you cannot have a justice system that works that way, just because it's full doesn't mean it's good enough to let people go, you need to find ways and I'd like to know what's being considered".
"I think the justice system has been lacking for quite some time and it needs a proper overhaul really."
Asked if the scheme will go ahead, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds told the BBC: "That is something that he [Burnham] and the Justice Secretary will set out in the coming weeks."
"We do have to bear in mind, which I know is cold comfort to the victims, in 2024 when we took office, we inherited a system... that was on the brink of collapse, with fewer than 100 prison places available".
PC Harper's mother Debbie Adlam says the justice system has been "lacking"
But Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs said the mitigations promised for victims ahead of the act coming in have not been implemented.
"For many victims who don't have that length of sentence for their offender, they won't know who to turn to, who to call," she told BBC Breakfast.
"When they receive these letters they'll have questions, concerns, very importantly things they may want to feed back to probation."
"We were promised, I was promised, by government, a helpline that would be stood up for those kinds of things, so that risk management and the communication and the helpline are not in place for September."
What is the government trying to do?
The Sentencing Act is intended to provide a permanent, more sustainable response to prison overcrowding after an emergency scheme was brought in by the Labour government in 2024. Tens of thousands of inmates have already been released early under those measures.
Unlike that 2024 plan, the new act does not include exemptions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, domestic abuse or terrorism.
Why is the scheme facing criticism?
The scheme has drawn criticism because it could allow Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were 17 at the time of the killing, to be released after six years despite being sentenced to 13 years in custody for manslaughter. Their sentences followed the death of PC Harper in 2019, when he was dragged along a country road as the teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire.
Debbie Adlam said the announcement had been "sprung" on her family and that it felt like "another let down for Andrew". She said the way he was killed was horrific and that the family has to live with it.
What have ministers and officials said?
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he could not commit to changing the policy completely but would "look at it in detail before we go further forward". He also said there was "pressure on prison places" and that a failure to invest in the system had created "an unacceptable situation".
However, two prison staffers told the BBC that governors were told to stop work on implementation of the Sentencing Act two weeks ago, while the government said there had been no decision to delay its introduction.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds said the position would be set out in the coming weeks by Burnham and the Justice Secretary. She said the government had inherited a system in 2024 that was "on the brink of collapse" and had fewer than 100 prison places available.
What are victim advocates saying?
Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs said the promised mitigations for victims had not been implemented before the act comes in. She said many victims would not know who to turn to or who to call when they receive letters about their offender's release.
Jacobs said a government helpline had been promised for those situations, but that risk management, communication and the helpline would not be in place for September.
Key Facts
- PC Andrew Harper, 28, died in 2019 after being dragged by a car in Berkshire.
- Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were sentenced to 13 years in custody for manslaughter and could be released after six years under the new act.
- Henry Long, who was 18 at the time, was jailed for 16 years and would not be eligible for early release.
- The Sentencing Act is due to be implemented in September.
- Tens of thousands of inmates have already been released early under the 2024 emergency scheme.
