PM urged not to change scheme to stop PC Andrew Harper killers’ early release

Manslaughter exemption would mean more releases would be needed within 18 months, Prison Service officials say What could Andy Burnham do to block early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers? Andy Burnham has been warned that changing the terms of the prisoners’ early release scheme so PC Andrew Harper’s killers are kept behind bars would force another spate of early releases before the next general election. Prison Service officials have told No 10 that adding an exemption so that those convicted of manslaughter, such as Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, remain in jail would mean further early releases would be needed within 18 months. A former prisons watchdog has said changing the early release scheme amid a public outcry over the possible freeing of Harper’s killers would be an example of “hard cases making bad law”. Instead, if they wanted to block the release of Cole and Bowers then every offender with a manslaughter conviction would be affected.

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