Mother of PC Harper ‘bitterly disappointed’ that son’s killers remain eligible for early release – UK politics live

Andy Burnham says he's delaying the UK's early prisoner release scheme by a month, pushing it back to October, after ordering an urgent review amid mounting pressure from MPs and victims. It follows the suspension of a plan to release up to six thousand offenders early in September, prompted by official predictions that prisons in England and Wales would be full by November. As The Guardian reports, offenders sentenced for rape, serious child sex offences, and grooming will now be excluded from the changes. Burnham said he understood the anger, anxiety and distress the policy has caused, though domestic abusers and killers could still remain eligible for early release.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton