Revised early release scheme excludes sex offenders but not PC Harper's killers

The government has confirmed that its early release scheme to ease prison overcrowding will go ahead in October, after a review by the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The scheme, originally due to start in September, will now exclude offenders convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming offences. However, those convicted of manslaughter, including two of the men who killed PC Andrew Harper, will still be eligible for early release.

PC Harper, a Thames Valley Police officer, was killed in 2019 when he was dragged behind a car while responding to a quad bike theft. Jesse Cole and Albert Bowers, passengers in the car, were jailed for 13 years for manslaughter. Under the revised scheme, they will be released after serving half their sentence, rather than two-thirds. The driver, Henry Long, was jailed for 16 years and is not eligible.

The decision has sparked outrage from PC Harper's family, police officers and the public. His widow, Lissie Harper, described it as 'an utter betrayal' and 'an affront to justice'. His mother, Debbie Adlam, said she felt 'let down' and that Andrew was being 'let down again by the government'. A petition to stop the release has gained hundreds of thousands of signatures, and the Thames Valley Police Federation is considering legal action. The force's chief constable, Jason Hogg, has said he is open to joining legal action.

The government says it cannot go further without risking the collapse of the prison system. The Justice Secretary, Alex Norris, said the changes were necessary to avoid running out of prison places by November. He apologised to the Harper family but said that exempting manslaughter would mean releasing fewer prisoners overall, which was not possible.

The scheme will see around 5,000 prisoners released over 10 months, starting in October. They will be subject to stricter supervision, including GPS tagging and restriction zones. A £10 million package for victims has also been announced.

There are also concerns about a loophole that could allow some grooming gang members to be released early, because they were convicted under older laws for indecent assault rather than specific grooming offences. The Prime Minister has ordered an urgent review to identify any such offenders.

The opposition has criticised the government, with the Conservatives saying Labour has been too slow to act. Reform UK has called for the release of foreign national prisoners to free up space. The government maintains that it is building new prisons at the fastest rate since the Victorian era, but that this will take time.