Breaking News: Early Release Scheme Paused
Andy Burnham has announced a pause on a scheme that would have allowed thousands of prisoners in England and Wales to be released early. The announcement follows criticism from survivors and victims’ families, including the widow of PC Andrew Harper.
The Sentencing Act was set to start in September and aimed to ease prison overcrowding by allowing some offenders to be released after serving one-third of their sentence instead of half. More serious offenders would have been eligible for release after serving half of their sentence.
New Justice Secretary Alex Norris stated that the pause aims to provide “certainty” for victims and survivors. He mentioned a review will assess the information given to victims and their families regarding early releases.
Burnham emphasized that no prisoners would be released until a thorough review is completed. He stated that changes would be made if necessary to minimize risk to the public.
The decision comes after concerns raised by the family of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in 2019. Survivors, including Jade Belgrove, expressed relief that their voices were heard regarding the early release scheme.
