Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced significant changes to the government’s early release scheme for prisoners in England and Wales, excluding offenders convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences, and grooming gang offences from eligibility. The decision comes amid efforts to address critical prison overcrowding, with the release of thousands of prisoners originally planned to begin in September now delayed until October to allow probation services more preparation time.

The early release scheme, initially introduced under former justice secretary David Lammy during Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, was designed to alleviate the strain on a prison system operating at 98 percent capacity. Under the revised plan, prisoners serving sentences of four years or more would be eligible for release at the halfway point of their sentence, rather than the previous two-thirds point. This change would apply to a broad category of offenders, including some convicted of domestic abuse and manslaughter.

Burnham emphasized the seriousness of public concern surrounding early releases, stating that he “fully understands the anger, anxiety and distress that’s been caused” and signaled a desire to go “even further” in limiting early releases where safety risks remain. However, he warned that without some easing of release criteria, the prison system risks reaching capacity limits, potentially collapsing and endangering public safety. To reinforce community safety, the government plans to implement tougher supervision periods for released offenders, introduce monitoring measures such as GPS tagging—particularly for sex offenders—and establish new restriction zones.

The government also announced a £10 million package aimed at bolstering victim support services, including local frontline organizations and a dedicated helpline to be launched by October.

Despite excluding rapists and serious child sex offenders, the plan still permits early release for other categories of prisoners, including domestic abusers, violent offenders, and some killers. This aspect of the policy has drawn criticism from police representatives, victims’ advocates, and campaigners who warn it puts vulnerable groups at risk. Dame Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, described the exclusion of domestic abuse offenders as a “wrong” decision that endangers victims. Andrea Simon, London’s victims commissioner, expressed concern about the ability of community supervision to adequately protect survivors.

The proposed early release of two men convicted for their roles in the 2020 manslaughter of police officer PC Andrew Harper—Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers—has also sparked outrage among victims’ groups and police organizations. The national chair of the Police Federation, Tiff Lynch, condemned the decision, highlighting the potential impact on public confidence and the distress caused to bereaved families.

Opposition voices have noted that while the government reversed plans to release certain serious sexual offenders, other dangerous offenders remain eligible for early release. The shadow justice secretary acknowledged the revised scheme as a partial victory for victims but emphasized ongoing concerns regarding early release for some offenders, including those responsible for PC Harper’s death.

The Ministry of Justice has not disclosed the exact number of prisoners newly excluded from early release or updated projections on when prisons might again reach full capacity. The justice secretary, Alex Norris, indicated that a review of sentences aimed at public protection would be undertaken, seeking to modernize sentencing and enhance community safety measures.

Burnham’s announcement follows intense negotiations within government and mounting public pressure to balance the need for prison reform against protecting victims and maintaining public trust in the criminal justice system.