LONDON — PC Andrew Harper’s killers will stay in prison after a last-minute change to the early release scheme, following intense pressure on ministers over who should be excluded. The shift means people convicted of manslaughter, rape, child sexual abuse and grooming will no longer be eligible for early release under the plan.

The decision affects about 1,400 prisoners and was welcomed by police, victims’ groups and some family members, including Harper’s mother, Debbie Adlam. But prison experts and reform organisations warned the move reduces the number of places that can be freed in an estate already described as close to collapse, leaving staff and governors facing fresh pressure when the first releases are due in October.

How the government changed the early release scheme

The change came after weeks of pressure on the government, with the prime minister saying he understood how strongly people felt about the issue. He told the BBC that he had heard what Harper’s family were saying and said no one would want offenders who killed a police officer to be let out early.

Before the U-turn, the plan had been due to begin this week. Ministers had said extra space would be created by deporting foreign prisoners and releasing some inmates serving indeterminate sentences. Critics said those steps would not be enough to solve a system running at about 98% capacity in England and Wales.

Government figures suggest the revised scheme will cut the number of prisoners released early from as many as 6,000 to around 4,600. Prison governor representatives warned staff would still face intense pressure as the first wave of releases approaches.

Andrew Harper’s case still shapes the debate

Harper was 28 when he suffered fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019. Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the vehicle and both 17 at the time, were sentenced to 13 years in custody for manslaughter.

Thames Valley Police said the decision would be welcomed by many across policing and the wider community. Chief Constable Jason Hogg said the focus should be on remembering Harper and recognising the impact his death continues to have on colleagues, local people and serving officers.

Debbie Adlam told BBC Breakfast that she felt both relieved and drained by the outcome. She said campaigners had been put “through the mill” and were only back where they started, despite being glad the change had been made.

Prison leaders warn overcrowding still leaves the estate exposed

Andrea Coomber, chief executive of the Howard League, said the prison estate remained “one major event away from a disaster”. She warned that a serious riot or public disturbance could remove whatever spare capacity was left, leaving ministers with little room to manoeuvre.

She argued the new plan could also undermine wider prison reforms in England and Wales, including changes to the Sentencing Act that followed the review led by David Gauke, the former justice secretary. In her view, the work behind those reforms had already taken years and the U-turn had undone some of it.

Pia Sinha of the Prison Reform Trust said ministers should also deal with the number of people on remand, who make up 18% of the prison population. She warned that overcrowded prisons become warehouses, making rehabilitation harder and self-harm more likely.

IPPs, deportations and the political fallout

The government also promised to end the use of indeterminate jail terms, known as IPPs, in this Parliament. More than 2,000 people in England and Wales are still held under those sentences, which were abolished more than a decade ago but continue to keep prisoners in custody.

Prison experts said freeing IPP prisoners would be complex and slow, and unlikely to create much space quickly. The government also admitted that the number of foreign prisoners who can realistically be deported is in the hundreds, not enough to solve the immediate capacity problem.

Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, accused Labour of sidestepping parliamentary scrutiny and called for emergency legislation and a delay to the scheme. Domestic abuse commissioner Nicole Jacobs said the announcement would not reassure victims, warning that survivors will still have to take steps to protect themselves from dangerous abusers.

The latest UK news and stories from MCFC Report.