Key facts
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham will review the government's early prisoner release scheme.
- The scheme, designed to address prison overcrowding, is scheduled to start in September.
- Over 5,000 prisoners, including those convicted of serious crimes, will be eligible for earlier release.
- Victims' groups have raised concerns about the scheme's potential impact on abuse victims.
- Burnham stated he would examine the policy in detail with the Justice Secretary.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Wednesday that he will review the government's controversial prisoner early release scheme alongside the Justice Secretary. The policy, which allows thousands of prisoners to serve shorter sentences to address a prison overcrowding crisis, is slated to begin in September.
Burnham stated that he had spoken with the new Justice Secretary and that they would review the policy together, with further statements to follow. He acknowledged the pressure on prison places, attributing it to underinvestment in the prison estate over the past decade. Burnham assured that he would examine every aspect of the scheme in detail, though he could not guarantee a complete policy change.
The scheme permits over 5,000 prisoners, including those convicted of serious crimes, to be released early. Offenders convicted of less serious crimes will be eligible for automatic release after serving half their sentences, provided they have not breached prison rules. Unlike previous emergency measures, this law includes no exemptions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, domestic abuse, or terrorism.
The policy has faced significant opposition from victims' groups and some political figures. Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman, domestic abuse commissioner, and former safeguarding minister Jess Philips have urged a review, warning of risks to abuse victims. Ciara Bergman of Rape Crisis England & Wales and Katie Kempen of Victim Support welcomed the review, emphasizing that solutions to overcrowding should not come at the expense of survivors and that victims should be informed about early releases.
Former Justice Secretary David Lammy, who spearheaded the scheme, had warned that without it, the criminal justice system risked collapse due to impending capacity crises. Lammy, who was replaced by Alex Norris on Monday, argued the move was necessary to prevent jails from becoming nearly full within six months.