Andy Burnham has announced a pause to a scheme that would have allowed thousands of prisoners in England and Wales to be released earlier than planned, with eligibility depending on the type of sentence and how much of it had been served. The decision follows criticism from survivors and victims’ families, including the widow of Thames Valley Police officer Andrew Harper, who was killed in 2019. Lissie Harper said the prospect of the men who killed her husband being freed early was “deplorable”, as the plan faced renewed scrutiny ahead of its planned implementation. Pause agreed after victim backlashUnder the Sentencing Act, due to take effect in September, some offenders would have been moved out of custody at earlier points to help ease pressure on prisons. Justice Secretary Alex Norris said the pause was intended to “give victims and survivors certainty” and ensure the government “got the implementation of this policy right”. Norris said a review would also examine what information had been provided to victims and survivors as part of the early release process. Burnham earlier said no prisoners would be released “under this policy” until an urgent review was completed and measures were taken to “minimise risk to the public”, adding that changes would be made where needed. The BBC understands the scheme would have resulted in around 700 prisoners being released early in September. Norris said the government had heard concerns from victims and survivors and from people across the country about implementation of parts of the Sentencing Act. He said one element needing to be handled properly was the information given to victims before release decisions were made. He refused to say why concerns had not been raised when the Sentencing Act was introduced but said Burnham was “quite right” to review the policy. How early release would have workedThe scheme was designed to apply in stages from September and would have shifted release dates for prisoners serving fixed terms. Offenders due to be released after 50% of a standard fixed sentence would have been eligible after serving 33%, with the remainder served in the community under monitoring. If an offender offended again, they could be returned to prison. For those serving fixed sentences for serious sexual and violent offences, the planned change would have moved release from 66% of the sentence to 50%. The most serious categories, including life prisoners and those subject to extended monitoring, would not have been included. Source: BBC Norris said Burnham was pausing the policy to ensure implementation is correct, rather than abandoning the act entirely. He said he hoped to provide victims with “certainty as soon as we can”. Victims’ Commissioner Claire Waxman welcomed the pause, calling the original version of the early release plan “the wrong course of action”. She said many victims had already been told offenders who harmed them could be released early, leaving them with “renewed fear and uncertainty”, and argued victims should have safety and confidence prioritised. Reactions and timetableThe pause comes after letters were sent to victims in recent weeks warning them the early release scheme was due to begin in September. Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, said she welcomed the pause but called for killers and rapists to be “permanently” exempt from any future version, describing the policy as “dangerous” in a post on X. Jade Belgrove, a survivor of sexual assault campaigning against the scheme, said receiving a letter informing her attacker might be released early was “horrific” and described relief at the pause. Steve Gillan, general secretary of prison officers’ union POA, said he understood concerns about “operational stability” but said the government was correct to pause early releases to ensure “adequate public protection” and to put victims first. Prison officers also reacted, with one telling the BBC that prisons were “super overcrowded” and warning that if releases do not proceed in September, capacity could become critical by November. Another said the pause showed the government was “putting public safety first”. In 2024, the Labour government announced separate and temporary emergency measures to release some prisoners early to ease overcrowding. Join the discussion? 24 July 2026
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