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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Alexandra Topping Political correspondent

Prisons ‘one major event from disaster’ after U-turn on early release scheme

A security van exits through the arched gate of HMP Wormwood Scrubs prison entrance
HMP Wormwood Scrubs in London. Offenders guilty of manslaughter, rapists, child sexual abusers and groomers will not be eligible for early release. Photograph: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

PC Andrew Harper’s killers will remain behind bars after a critical intervention by Andy Burnham, but the move has led to warnings that overcrowded prisons will be left “one major event away from disaster”.

Announcing a U-turn on the early release scheme after weeks of intense pressure, Burnham said he understood “how strongly people feel about this issue”.

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