Burnham’s review of prison early release scheme is causing chaos, says union
Summary
England and Wales plan to release up to 6,000 prisoners early starting 2 September under a new law that changes how long some offenders serve behind bars. The prime minister, Andy Burnham, announced a review of these plans, causing confusion and uncertainty among prison and probation staff working on the releases.Key Facts
- Up to 6,000 prisoners in England and Wales are scheduled for early release from 2 September.
- The new law allows many prisoners to be released after serving one-third of their sentence instead of half, with supervision in the community.
- Violent and sexual offenders, including two killers of police officer Andrew Harper, may be released early under certain conditions.
- Andy Burnham, the prime minister, has said he will review the early release plans alongside the new justice secretary, Alex Norris.
- Prison and probation staff say the review has caused confusion and uncertainty about how to prepare for releases.
- Preparing for early release involves risk assessments, finding housing, home visits, victim support, and setting up electronic monitoring tags.
- The union representing probation officers says they have not received clear guidance from prison managers on how to proceed.
- The Sentencing Act 2026 introduces the “earned progression model” that replaces automatic halfway release with a system based on prisoners’ behavior.
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