UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to take decisive action to address the prison early release scheme crisis, which has sparked outrage following the potential release of PC Andrew Harper's killers. In a televised interview, Burnham reaffirmed his commitment to finding solutions, claiming he has been pushing the system "every single day" since taking office to free up space in the prison system. His plan aims to create additional capacity by deporting foreign national offenders and reforming the controversial Indeterminate Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, which have led to hundreds of young people being imprisoned indefinitely without a clear release date. As the government works to address the family's concerns, Burnham has pledged to maintain close communication with PC Harper's family, acknowledging the emotional toll this process has taken on them.
The prime minister says the prison early release scheme crisis shows he’s someone who had ‘never taken no for an answer’In his pooled TV interview, Andy Burnham repeated the point he made in his Facebook post earlier (see 9.58am), saying he was confident that more could be done to free up space in the prison system (which would allow the early release system to be changed so that PC Andrew Harper’s killers are excluded). Burnham said that since becoming PM he had been pushing the system “every single day” to go further.Explaining how extra space could be found (see 9.19am), he particularly singled out the more than 2,000 prisoners on indeterminate IPP (imprisonment for public protection) sentences. He said:[The] plan will include issues like returning more foreign national offenders to their country of origin, and looking at the injustice of IPP sentences, which have led to young people, or young when they were imprisoned, being imprisoned indeterminately, and that clearly is unfair.My office was in touch with the family last night [see 10.04am], and I know the justice secretary is in regular touch as well.So, we will keep close to the family through this whole process because we understand how difficult this process has been for them. Continue reading...
