Prisoners who committed rape, grooming and serious child sex offences will be excluded from the upcoming early release scheme. Prime Minister Andy Burnham paused plans to release some prisoners in September after backlash from survivors and victims, and the scheme will now restart in October.
Widow Lissie Harper, whose late husband police officer Andrew Harper was killed, says she is
"bristling with anger"as his killers are still eligible for early release. Burnham said he
"wanted to go even further", but that would not possible without the prison system collapsing and putting the public
"at much greater risk".
In a statement, Burnham said:
"I fully understand the anger, anxiety and distress that's been caused. I've heard that loud and clear,"he said. Under the government's changes, an extra £10 million will also go to frontline victim support services, including a new national helpline.
Why did the government pause the scheme?
The backlash intensified after the family of PC Harper said they received a letter from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirming the offenders who killed the officer could be eligible for early release. 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 the quad bike theft in Berkshire.
Lissie Harper said it was
"disgusting"her husband's killers were still eligible for early release and said she was
"beyond appalled and bristling with anger to hear the Andrew's killers are soon to be free to roam the streets". She added:
"The level of disrespect the Government are showing to Andrew and other victims - and to their loved ones such as me - is beyond contempt."
Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs also criticised the decision for not excluding domestic abuse perpetrators.
"It is critical that no abuser is released in October unless I am confident that victims' safety is not being compromised,"she said.
What changes has the government announced?
The government believes the short-term move does not require changes to existing law before October, though it may amend the legislation in the longer term to exclude certain offenders from being released. Burnham paused the scheme on 23 July to conduct an urgent review.
The Sentencing Act was amended in January, with eligibility for early release based on the length of fixed sentence rather than the type of offence. The act already excluded some of the most serious and dangerous offenders, such as murderers serving life sentences or those on extended sentences.
Under Burnham's announced changes, rape and child sexual offences will now also be excluded. Offenders of other crimes serving longer sentences of four years or more will be eligible for release halfway through their sentences rather than two-thirds as had previously been the case. Those serving less serious sentences could be freed after a third of their time, rather than half.
The changes were due to be phased in, beginning with prisoners serving sentences of less than 575 days, going up to inmates jailed for 12 years or more being eligible for early release in June 2027. The
"presumption"will be that offenders are tagged and will face longer periods of supervision and tough new rules including
"restriction zones", Burnham said.
The number of individuals released each time will depend on the makeup of the prison population, which the government says will evolve between now and implementation. A prison officer told the BBC that they were
"creaking at the seams"and that
"delaying the releases until October could mean we simply run out of space".
Further, a probation officer also told the BBC:
"it's not clear there's anything actually new here in terms of how probation staff are going to manage people being released earlier".
What happens to offenders after release?
Separately, those who serve the full sentence and are convicted of rape or serious child sex offences will face stronger surveillance after leaving prison, the government said. This includes 12 months of GPS monitoring and strengthened community supervision.
Calling the announcement a
"U-turn", Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said it
"doesn't go far enough".
"Some child sex offenders and killers ... will still be released early. And the trauma of victims being told their abusers may be released can't be undone,"Timothy said in a statement.
Key Facts
- Prisoners who committed rape, grooming and serious child sex offences will be excluded from the early release scheme.
- The scheme was paused on 23 July and will now restart in October.
- PC Harper, 28, was killed in 2019 in Berkshire.
- The government will provide an extra £10 million for frontline victim support services, including a new national helpline.
- Rape and serious child sex offenders who serve full sentences will face 12 months of GPS monitoring and strengthened community supervision.
