Prime Minister Andy Burnham has paused a controversial early prisoner release scheme that was due to begin in September, triggering fresh debate over how Britain should tackle its deepening prison overcrowding crisis.
The decision was announced on 23 July after growing public backlash over plans that could have allowed thousands of inmates to leave prison earlier under reforms introduced through the Sentencing Act 2026. The pause followed criticism from victims' groups, police representatives and the family of murdered police officer PC Andrew Harper, whose killers were reportedly among those who could have benefited from the scheme.
