Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ordered a review of Labour’s controversial early prison release scheme following a wave of criticism sparked by plans to free two of the men responsible for the death of PC Andrew Harper. The move comes after Lissie Harper, the widow of the Thames Valley Police officer, condemned the policy as “deplorable”, warning it undermines justice for victims and their families. 
Widow speaks out
Mrs Harper, who has largely stayed out of the public spotlight in recent years, issued a powerful statement after it emerged that Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers could be released early under Labour’s prison overcrowding measures. She accused politicians of making decisions with devastating consequences for bereaved families. “It is deplorable to me that we have reached a point where releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable,” she said. “We speak of justice, accountability and standing with victims, yet decisions like this do the opposite. “They tell victims their suffering matters less, and offenders that the punishment handed down by our courts is no longer what they will actually serve.” She added:
“No sentence can bring Andrew back, but justice should mean something. Andrew deserves better. Every victim deserves better. And the British public deserve a justice system they can have faith in.”
Policy under review
Following growing political pressure, Mr Burnham confirmed the Government would review the policy alongside newly appointed Justice Secretary Alex Norris. Speaking during a visit to Bath, the Prime Minister said:
“I’ve spoken to the new Justice Secretary. We will review the policy together and make further statements in due course.”
The Ministry of Justice declined to confirm reports that prison governors had already been instructed to pause preparations for the scheme. However, officials are understood to be meeting with senior members of the Prison and Probation Service. 
Death of PC Andrew Harper
PC Andrew Harper, 28, was killed in August 2019 after responding to reports of a stolen quad bike in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. The newly married officer became caught in a towing strap attached to the offenders’ getaway vehicle and was dragged for more than a mile along country roads, suffering catastrophic injuries. He and Lissie Harper had been married for just four weeks, and he had been due to finish his shift before leaving on his honeymoon. In 2020, driver Henry Long was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years. Passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were both 17 at the time, were each sentenced to 13 years’ detention for manslaughter after the Old Bailey found they had participated in the events leading to the officer’s death. Long is not eligible for release under the current proposals.
Growing backlash
Mrs Harper’s intervention has prompted widespread criticism of the early release programme from politicians, policing leaders and victims’ representatives. Former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel, who worked with Mrs Harper to introduce Harper’s Law, described the prospect of Cole and Bowers being released early as “outrageous”, saying they should remain behind bars. Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland KC said any early release would be “an insult” to PC Harper’s memory and urged ministers to exclude violent offenders from the scheme. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, labelled the proposals “an utter insult to the victims”, while Claire Waxman, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, said she lacked confidence the releases could be managed in a way that adequately protected victims or maintained public trust.
Police concerns
Thames Valley Police Federation chair Aileen O’Connor said officers would be “disgusted” at the prospect of the pair being released. She said:
“What message does this send about the worth of the life of a police officer?”
Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg also criticised the proposals, describing the prospect of early release as something that “feels wrong”, confirming he had written directly to the Prime Minister to express his concerns.
Prison release scheme
The Government’s proposed sentencing reforms are designed to ease pressure on overcrowded prisons by allowing some offenders to be released earlier than under current rules. Around 6,000 prisoners are expected to benefit from the changes, with violent and sexual offenders among those who could become eligible for release after serving half of their sentence, rather than the current two-thirds, subject to eligibility criteria and risk assessments. The announcement that the policy is now under review follows mounting public and political pressure over whether offenders convicted of serious violent crimes should be included.
