The Prison Officers' Association has proposed releasing thousands of remand prisoners to create space and prevent the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers. Mark Fairhurst, the association's chair, suggested that people awaiting trial could be bailed or fitted with electronic tags, freeing cells for prisoners who would otherwise qualify for early release.
Remand population could be reduced
Fairhurst estimated there are around 17,000 people currently on remand. Speaking to Times Radio, he said: "I'm sure we could get a couple of thousand of them bailed or tagged with the GPS tag to monitor them electronically. That's an easy win for this government and I can't understand why they don't consider it."
He added: "I'm positive we could free up additional space and block anybody convicted of manslaughter from early release. You only have to look at the remand population."
Government stance on early release
The proposal comes as Downing Street maintains that it is "not possible" to exclude "one or two offenders" from Labour's early release scheme. This means Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers could still be released within months. A petition calling for the pair to remain behind bars had reached nearly 900,000 signatures.
There are about 950 prisoners convicted of manslaughter, the offence for which PC Harper's killers were convicted, although around 500 are thought to be eligible for early release. Campaigners argue the Government should prohibit early release for anyone convicted of manslaughter, but ministers have said doing so could result in prisons becoming full.
Prime Minister's position
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week he had "pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do" by removing around 1,000 rapists, child sex offenders and groomers from eligibility for early release. Downing Street reinforced that position, saying it could not prevent PC Harper's killers from being released early.
Officials had examined preventing prisoners convicted of the manslaughter of an emergency worker from being released, but Mr Burnham's spokesman said this was "not a standalone offence". The proposal is understood to have been described by officials as a "complete non-starter" because the Government would likely lose a legal challenge.
The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "It is not possible to simply exclude one or two offenders. I think you've seen from the Prime Minister's words that he's far from accepting the situation and as he wrote last week he wants to go even further. He's pushed hard on what more we could do and his focus now is on fixing the prison system long-term to avoid a repeat of this prison crisis so that it never happens again."
Background and reaction
The Government continues to plan the early release of around 5,000 criminals over ten months from October as it attempts to tackle overcrowding. Cole and Bowers are among those covered by the plans.
PC Harper, who was 28, was investigating the theft of a £10,000 quad bike in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019 when he was killed. Bowers and Cole, who were then 17, attempted to flee in a car driven by Henry Long, who was 18. PC Harper's ankles became caught in the vehicle's tow rope and he was dragged along at 43mph. Long is not eligible for early release.
The decision has prompted an angry response from Christopher Bushnell, a former Thames Valley Police officer who was first on the scene following PC Harper's death. Mr Bushnell, who retired in 2022, recalled the lack of remorse he said the killers showed in the dock. He said their planned early release was "absolutely outrageous".
Mr Bushnell said: "We can't change the verdict. They got their sentences, which were pretty pitiful, to be fair. When I first heard a couple of weeks ago there was a chance they could be let out early, I was shaking. It brought everything back. To think they could be released early is absolutely outrageous. I'm angry with them, but I'm also angry with the Government. They're spitting in the face of police officers."
Aileen O'Connor, Chair of Thames Valley Police Federation, launched the petition calling for Cole and Bowers to remain in prison. More than 880,000 signatures had been collected by yesterday afternoon. She said: "The public are speaking loudly and clearly. They agree with us that the Government is firmly on the wrong side of this. The silence from the Government on this is deafening. What they are doing is indefensible. And they simply cannot defend it. They must listen. The Prime Minister must listen. If you kill a police officer there should be no early release. No ifs. No buts."
She added: "We are seeking all legal avenues...Whatever happens, we will throw everything we can at this to make sure that those responsible for killing Andrew Harper in the execution of his duty remain firmly behind bars."
