Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced revised prison release plans on Monday, excluding rapists and child sex offenders from early release to ease overcrowding. Despite these changes, two killers of PC Andrew Harper remain eligible for early release, sparking condemnation from the officer’s family and Thames Valley Police.
The government’s effort to prevent the prison system from collapsing
has left the family of a fallen police officer facing the prospect of their son’s killers returning to the streets. PC Andrew Harper, 28, died in August 2019 after being dragged along a country road in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, while responding to a quad bike theft. Two of the three suspects involved, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020 and are now eligible for release after serving half of their sentences.
Lissie Harper and Family Condemn ‘Utter Betrayal’
Lissie Harper, the officer’s widow, described the decision as disgusting
and an utter betrayal
by the government. She questioned why the killing of a police officer was not deemed a sickening crime
deserving of the stiffest punishments, stating that the killers had robbed us of our future
.
Lissie Harper, widow of PC Andrew Harper, said she was beyond appalled and bristling with anger to hear that Andrew’s killers would soon be free to roam the streets.
The emotional toll extends to the officer’s mother, Debbie Adlam, who told BBC Newsnight that her family will pay the price
for the sentencing changes. Ms. Adlam noted that while Justice Secretary Alex Norris called her to explain that the prison system would fall completely
without such measures, she believes there must be other ways to address the crisis.
The Sentencing Act: New Release Thresholds
The controversy stems from amendments to the Sentencing Act, which shifted eligibility for early release based on the length of a fixed sentence rather than the type of offence. While murderers serving life sentences and those on extended sentences remain excluded, the new rules create a phased release schedule to reduce overcrowding.
- Sentences of 4+ years: Eligible for release at the halfway point, rather than two-thirds.
- Less serious sentences: Eligible for release after one-third of their time, rather than half.
- Short-term inmates: Phased implementation begins with those serving less than 575 days, scaling up to those jailed for 12+ years by June 2027.
However, following a backlash from survivors, Prime Minister Andy Burnham paused the plans in September, delaying the restart of the scheme until October.
Burnham’s Revised Exclusions and Safety Measures
To address public anxiety, the Prime Minister confirmed that rapists, serious child sex offenders, and those convicted of grooming will now be excluded from early release.
Mr. Burnham admitted he wanted to go even further
with exemptions but argued that doing so would put public safety at much greater risk
by triggering a total collapse of the prison system. To mitigate the risk of early release, the government is implementing a presumption
that offenders will be tagged and face longer supervision periods, including the use of GPS monitoring and specific restriction zones.
Police Reaction and Victim Support
The decision has resonated poorly with law enforcement. Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg described the eligibility of PC Harper’s killers as demoralising for all police officers
and fellow emergency workers. He pointed out a stark legal discrepancy: if the killers were convicted today, they would receive life sentences under laws created in PC Harper’s name and would not be eligible for early release.
In response to the distress caused by the scheme, the government has introduced a £10 million package to improve front-line victim support.
Despite these measures, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman, warned that exclusions alone cannot guarantee safety and that many victims have been let down by poor communication
.
The Progression Model and Future Risks
The tension remains between the logistical necessity of emptying cells and the moral demand for justice. By prioritizing the stability of the prison estate over the specific exclusion of manslaughter convicts like Bowers and Cole, the government has effectively decided that the risk of a systemic collapse outweighs the public and professional outcry over the early release of those who killed a police officer.
