Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Alexandra Topping Political correspondent

Burnham to focus on keeping child rapists in prison as release scheme talks enter final day

Andy Burnham during a visit to HM Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, in Dover, Kent
Andy Burnham has paused the early release scheme initiated under his Labour predecessor but still faces pressure to act on prison overcrowding. Photograph: Jack Taylor/PA

Andy Burnham is focused on preventing the release of child sexual abuse perpetrators as part of the government’s early release scheme, as urgent talks on which serious criminals could be exempted go down to the wire.

Government ministers are understood to have 24 hours to assess which criminals can be released early to free up prison space, with every exemption weighed up against the threat of the criminal justice system’s collapse.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.