Prime Minister Andy Burnham has formally barred rapists and serious child sex offenders from early release under the Sentencing Act, in a reversal of a scheme inherited from the previous government.
From October, offenders convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming gang crimes will no longer benefit from reduced custodial terms. The move follows a rapid review Mr Burnham ordered within days of entering Downing Street, after it emerged that sex offenders could have been among those released early under the original plan.
