New Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will “put a pause” on plans for early release of prisoners. Under the new Sentencing Act set to come into force in September, some 6,000 criminals were due to be released under the early prison release scheme.
New Sentencing Act details
The Sentencing Act 2026 introduces an "earned progression model" that replaces the automatic halfway release for prisoners serving standard determinate sentences in England and Wales with a tiered, behaviour-based system. This new model allows most prisoners to be released after serving one-third of their sentence in prison, rather than the previous 50%.
The remainder of their sentence will be served under strict supervision in the community, with the support of electronic tagging.
Additionally, prisoners convicted of sexual or violent offences, who would normally be eligible for automatic release at two-thirds of their sentence, can now qualify for release at the halfway point. This is contingent on their behaviour record, specifically that they have not committed any serious breaches of prison rules.
Burnham's statement
Mr Burnham said: “Keeping the public safe will always be my top priority. I am working closely with the new Justice Secretary and have instructed my team to put a pause on the changes that were due to start in September.
“No prisoners will be let out under this policy until we have conducted an urgent review and done everything we can to minimise risk to the public. Where changes are needed, we will not hesitate to make them.”
Impact on North East families
This news will be welcomed by two North East families whose lives were uprooted by criminals who could have been eligible for early release.
Katherine Errington's seven-year-old son Archie York died when their home in Benwell was destroyed in an explosion caused by an illegal drugs lab in the flat below. Drug dealer Reece Galbraith was jailed for 14 years after admitting to manslaughter in connection with the Benwell blast. He had been due to become eligible for release on licence after serving two-thirds of his sentence, but Katherine was informed in June that he could instead be released at the halfway point of his prison term instead.
Katherine, 29, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Wednesday that a change in policy by Andy Burnham would “mean that victims’ families are finally being heard for once”.
She added, “Hopefully, Andy Burnham is not just thinking about the prisons being full, but about us. We have never really been thought of throughout this process. It is like the system just expects us to go back to life as normal, but it is not normal because we are always fighting for justice.”
Loved ones of the murdered County Durham toddler Maya Chappell discovered recently that her mum is another who could be considered for an earlier release. The two-year-old died after being violently shaken by her mother’s boyfriend, Michael Daymond, at her home in Shotton Colliery in 2022, with Daymond jailed for life, while Maya’s mum, Dana Carr, was locked up for nine years after being found guilty of child cruelty by neglect and allowing the death of a child.
Gemma Chappell, May’s great aunt, said on Wednesday that victims had been “let down time and time again” but that a review by Mr Burnham and new justice secretary Alex Norris would “show that we can perhaps try and build some trust back”.
She told the LDRS: “If he does go ahead and looks at it, then brilliant. It would show that he is putting the victims first and bringing victims back to the forefront. That is where they should be, especially when it comes to something as serious as killing a child. Victims and their families should be treated with importance – they need to be heard, listened to, and cared for.”
MP's response
Newcastle Central and West MP Chi Onwurah told the LDRS: "I welcome the Prime Minister's commitment to urgently review the prisoner early release policy. Nobody can dispute the pressures on prison capacity or the need for government to respond to them.
"However, over recent months I have repeatedly raised concerns with ministers and officials that the safeguards promised to victims have not yet been fully delivered."
