UK government reverses early-release plan, keeping PC Harper's killers in prison
Following weeks of public pressure, the UK government has scaled back its early prison release scheme, keeping PC Andrew Harper's killers and other serious offenders behind bars. Experts warn overcrowded prisons are now one major incident from crisis.
The UK government has reversed course on its early prisoner release scheme after weeks of intense public pressure, meaning around 1,400 offenders — including those convicted of manslaughter, rape and child sexual abuse — will no longer be eligible for early release.
Among those who will remain in custody are Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both sentenced to 13 years in 2019 for the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper in Berkshire. Both were 17 at the time and were passengers in a vehicle Harper was attempting to stop over a quad bike theft.
The decision was announced by minister Andy Burnham, who said he understood the strength of public feeling on the issue. The change was welcomed by police, victims' groups and families, including Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, who said the campaigning process had nonetheless been emotionally difficult.
Thames Valley police chief constable Jason Hogg said the news would be welcomed across policing and local communities.
Concerns over prison capacity
Critics warn the reversal could undermine broader prison reform efforts and increase pressure on an already overcrowded system, which is operating at 98% capacity in England and Wales. Originally, up to 6,000 prisoners were expected to be released early, but that figure is now expected to drop to around 4,600.
Experts from the Howard League and the Prison Reform Trust warned that any serious incident, such as a riot, could push the system toward collapse given the lack of spare capacity. They also cautioned that the decision risks undoing work from a year-long independent sentencing review that shaped recent reforms.
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy accused the government of avoiding parliamentary scrutiny and called for emergency legislation to properly exclude the most serious offenders from the scheme.
