Hundreds more prisoners to stay behind bars under early release changes

The government faced concerns about early release of prisoners convicted of serious crimes, including manslaughter, amid warnings that cells could run out and a prison system more than 97% full in England and Wales.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced changes to the early release scheme to exclude anyone convicted of unlawful killing, including manslaughter and death by dangerous driving, and said the killers of PC Andrew Harper will not have their sentence shortened.

He said the change means 'hundreds' more people will stay in prison.

To manage capacity the government intends to make space by deporting foreign prisoners and releasing inmates serving indefinite sentences. It will also introduce what the prime minister described as the 'toughest ever' supervision measures on release, including tagging and restriction zones, and establish a cross-party oversight group while tabling legislation to end IPP detainment.

Ministry of Justice data shows 2,271 people are serving IPP sentences, with 856 not released because the Parole Board thought it was not safe, and campaigners and PC Harper’s family say gaps remain as the long-term effectiveness is not yet known.