Burnham gets the early prison release changes he wanted - but at what cost?
Summary
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced changes to keep hundreds of criminals in prison who would have been released early. These changes are seen as political decisions made under pressure, but prisons are already nearly full, and the solutions to create more space will take time.Key Facts
- Andy Burnham expanded the list of prisoners who cannot get early release.
- The Ministry of Justice warned that holding more prisoners could cause prisons to become overcrowded.
- Burnham cited ending indefinite sentences and deporting foreign criminals as steps to help reduce prison numbers in the future.
- Creating more prison cells in existing jails will take months and is only a long-term solution.
- The prison system for adult men is at 98% capacity currently.
- The decision is described by the government as political, made partly because of public pressure over certain cases, including that of PC Andrew Harper.
- There was a plan to announce these changes in Parliament, but the Prime Minister chose to announce them in a TV interview instead.
- Families of victims asked for one clear announcement, not leaks over time.
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