PC Harper's killers to stay in jail as PM announces changes to early release scheme
Summary
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the killers of PC Andrew Harper will stay in prison and will not be eligible for early release under a new policy. The government plans to ease prison overcrowding by deporting foreign prisoners and ending certain indefinite sentences for offenders who have already served long terms.Key Facts
- PC Andrew Harper was killed in 2019 during a burglary incident involving a quad bike theft.
- Two of Harper’s killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were at risk of early release under the old rules.
- Burnham stated that anyone convicted of unlawful killing, including manslaughter, will now be excluded from the early release scheme.
- The prison system in England and Wales is over 97% full, prompting the need for new measures.
- One plan to reduce overcrowding includes ending Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, which have kept some prisoners indefinitely imprisoned past their minimum term.
- About 2,271 people currently serve IPP sentences, with 856 never released due to safety concerns.
- The government will deport hundreds of foreign prisoners after sentencing and bar them from returning.
- New prisoner return agreements have not yet been signed with other countries, but officials are working to add more prison cells by converting existing space.
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