Key facts
- Andy Burnham is exploring options to block the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers.
- Cole and Bowers were convicted of manslaughter and are eligible for early release under a government scheme to address prison overcrowding.
- Prison Service officials warn that exempting manslaughter convictions could force further early releases before the next general election.
- The government plans to release 5,000 prisoners early from October to free up space, with Harper's killers due for release in January.
- A petition demanding an intervention to keep Cole and Bowers imprisoned has garnered nearly 900,000 signatures.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, is reportedly exploring ways to prevent the early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper. The government's early release scheme, designed to alleviate prison overcrowding, is set to free approximately 5,000 inmates from October, with Cole and Bowers scheduled for release in January. However, Prison Service officials have cautioned Downing Street that creating an exemption for manslaughter convictions, such as that of PC Harper's killers, could necessitate further early releases within 18 months and potentially trigger a legal challenge. A petition demanding the exclusion of Cole and Bowers from the scheme has garnered nearly 900,000 signatures. The Prime Minister has stated that while he has pushed to exempt certain offenders like rapists and child sex offenders, it is not possible to exempt specific individuals convicted of manslaughter without affecting a broader group of offenders. A former prisons watchdog, Nick Hardwick, warned that changing the scheme due to public outcry would set a dangerous precedent of 'hard cases making bad law,' emphasizing the need for careful debate rather than political decisions on individual sentences. Ministry of Justice officials noted that abandoning the early release scheme could lead to prisons running out of space by November, potentially impacting public safety.