Burnham blocks early prison release for rapists and serious child sex offenders
The Prime Minister has said rape, serious child sex offences and grooming are to be excluded from upcoming cuts to prison sentences.
It comes after Andy Burnham paused plans to release prisoners early in September to ease overcrowding in jails.
The scheme will now be delayed until October.
Mr Burnham said he “wanted to go even further”, but that it is not possible without the prison system collapsing and putting the public “at much greater risk”.
However, he assured the public that offenders will face tighter community supervision, including new GPS monitoring for rapists to restrict movements.
The Prime Minister said: “Keeping the public safe is my top priority. That’s why I asked for an urgent review of the prisoner release scheme.
“I fully understand the anger, anxiety and distress that’s been caused. I’ve heard that loud and clear.
“That’s why we’re making significant changes: offenders who have been sentenced for rape, serious child sex offences and other grooming offences will be excluded from the changes.
“I want to be honest – I wanted to go even further as I know there will still be concerns about other offenders having their sentence shortened.
“But it’s not possible without the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing, which would put public safety at much greater risk.
“That’s why we will also be introducing much tougher community measures.
“There will be a presumption that all offenders are tagged, longer periods of supervision and tough new rules, including restriction zones for offenders.”
Under changes in the Sentencing Act, some 6,000 offenders were set to be let out of prison in September after serving a third of their sentence – rather than half – in a bid to ease prison overcrowding.
Prisoners serving longer sentences of four years or more would be eligible for release at the halfway point of their term, rather than at two-thirds as had previously been the case.
The changes were due to be phased in, beginning with prisoners serving sentences of less than 575 days, going up to inmates jailed for 12 years or more being eligible for early release in June next year.
The Government has said that, after listening to victims’ concerns, rapists and child sexual offenders will not be eligible for the sentencing changes.
These will be added to the exclusions already in place for 18,000 offenders, including those who have been found by a court to be the most dangerous or anyone serving a life sentence.
The Government has also announced a new package of victim support, backed by £10 million, to provide better trauma-informed contact.
A new national helpline will also be established and efforts made to contact all affected victims to offer information and support.
Mr Burnham added: “As a country, we haven’t invested in the prison estate when we should have, going back over a decade.
“This has created an unacceptable situation, with our adult male prisons now at 98% capacity.
“For too long, the problems facing our prison system have been ignored – and it’s the victims who have been paying the price. That is not good enough.
“My Government will deliver the fastest prison building programme since the Victorian era and do what’s necessary to fix the prison crisis.”
Labour aims to have 14,000 new prison places by 2031.
Mr Burnham has also asked Justice Secretary Alex Norris to look at how the UK can remove foreign offenders faster and in greater numbers, review outdated Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences and free up space in women’s prisons.
Mr Norris said: “The Prime Minister and I have reviewed these reforms, listened to the concerns and gone further to protect victims.
“These are decisions no minister would ever want to take, but it is right these sickening crimes are excluded from these reforms.
“Victims will also have access to better support and reassurance that offenders leaving prison face tougher supervision and punishment.”
Wider releases under the Sentencing Act have been delayed from September to October, giving probation staff time to plan for releases and to ensure victims can have a say in restrictions placed on offenders.
The changes also introduce a new progression model which will end automatic release for badly behaved offenders.
Those who break the rules or are violent behind bars face spending 100% of their sentence locked up.
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said: “Labour whipped their MPs to vote to let rapists, paedophiles, and grooming gang perpetrators out of prison early.
“Now they admit the Conservative campaign to stop this was right – this is a victory for victims.
“But their U-turn doesn’t go far enough. Some child sex offenders and killers, like those responsible for the death of Pc Harper, will still be released early. And the trauma of victims being told their abusers may be released can’t be undone.
“One of Andy Burnham’s first acts as Prime Minister will be to let thousands of criminals – including killers and paedophiles – out early.”
The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman, said that early release plans have “been a source of shock, distress and uncertainty for victims” and that many have been let down by “poor communication”.
On the exclusions for rape and serious child sex offences, she said: “While this will be well received by some victims, most will not fall within those categories, and exclusions alone cannot guarantee victim or public safety.
“Effective risk management, meaningful licence conditions, proper supervision and timely, trauma-informed communication and support remain critical.”
Ms Waxman added that delaying implementation to October was a “necessary step”, and that the extra time must be used to “deliver the protections needed to keep victims and the public safe”.
Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs said not excluding domestic abusers is “wrong and puts victims lives at risk”.
She said: “It is critical that no abuser is released in October unless I am confident that victims’ safety is not being compromised.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub