PM to tighten early release rules but men jailed over PC Harper’s death can be freed

Rapists, child abusers and groomers will not leave prison early but some of those serving sexual or violent offences will now leave after half their sentence Rapists, child sexual abusers and groomers will be excluded from early release plans to ease critical prison overcrowding in a major intervention by Andy Burnham. The prime minister said on Monday evening that he would delay the planned early release of thousands of prisoners across England and Wales by a month until October. But he will still allow domestic abusers and killers to go free, including two men jailed for their role in the death of PC Andrew Harper . The decision will put the lives of women and girls “at risk” and has “let down” serving police officers, a watchdog and a pressure group have warned. It follows the suspension of Keir Starmer’s plans to release up to 6,000 offenders from prison early in September amid official predictions that prisons will be full in November.

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