- The prime minister has ordered the justice secretary to find a way to bar Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were jailed for 13 years for manslaughter in 2020, from early release.
- Burnham says he is 'confident' PC Andrew Harper's killers can be excluded from the government's early release scheme, as outcry over the case grows.
- A plan to prevent more prisoners from being freed long before the end of their sentences will be presented to Parliament in September.
- Burnham launched a review of the early release scheme after becoming prime minister and last week announced that some prisoners convicted of rape, serious child sex and other grooming offences would be barred from early release.
- Burnham's position on early releases has shifted since last week, when he said there was 'nothing more' he could do without risking the collapse of the prison system.
- The move comes after days of pressure to exclude Harper's killers from the scheme, which aims to free about 5,000 offenders in England and Wales to make space in overcrowded jails.
- Burnham said he wanted to go even further but had 'pushed to the very limits' of what is possible to do.
- Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, told the BBC she was in 'turmoil' following conflicting reports about whether two of her son's killers would be released early, describing the handling as a 'hash'.
Andy Burnham has stated he is "confident" that the killers of PC Andrew Harper can be excluded from the government's early release scheme. This comes after Prime Minister ordered the justice secretary to find a way to bar Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020, from early release.1
The decision follows significant public pressure and aims to address the outcry surrounding the case. The early release scheme is designed to free approximately 5,000 offenders in England and Wales to alleviate overcrowding in prisons. Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, expressed her "turmoil" over conflicting reports regarding the potential early release of her son's killers, criticizing the situation as a "hash".268
Burnham's stance on early releases has evolved; he previously indicated that there was "nothing more" he could do without risking the collapse of the prison system. Following his review of the scheme, he announced that certain prisoners convicted of serious crimes, including rape and child sex offences, would be barred from early release. Burnham has expressed a desire to go even further but acknowledged he has "pushed to the very limits of what is possible".4
“The prime minister has ordered the justice secretary to find a way to bar Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, jailed for 13 years for manslaughter in 2020, from early release. Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, told the BBC she was in 'turmoil' over conflicting reports, calling the handling a 'hash'.”
BBC
