Andy Burnham has announced that rape, serious child sex and grooming offences will be excluded from upcoming changes to prison sentences. The Prime Minister said the move is to keep the public as safe as possible.
The announcement comes after Burnham paused plans to release prisoners early in September to ease overcrowding. The scheme will now be delayed until October.
Exclusions and community measures
Burnham said he wanted to go even further but that it is not possible without the prison system collapsing and putting the public at much greater risk. He assured the public that offenders will face tighter community supervision, including new GPS monitoring for rapists to restrict movements.
Burnham said: "Keeping the public safe is my top priority. That’s why I asked for an urgent review of the prisoner release scheme. I fully understand the anger, anxiety and distress that’s been caused."
He added: "I’ve heard that loud and clear. That’s why we’re making significant changes: offenders who have been sentenced for rape, serious child sex offences and other grooming offences will be excluded from the changes."
Burnham acknowledged that other offenders will still have sentences shortened, but said it is not possible to go further without the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing, which would put public safety at much greater risk.
Victim support and prison building
The decision follows Burnham listening to victims’ concerns. Rape and serious child sex offences, including grooming gang offences, will now be added to exclusions already in place for 18,000 offenders, including those found by a court to be the most dangerous or anyone serving a life sentence.
Under changes in the Sentencing Act, some 6,000 offenders were set to be released in September after serving a third of their sentence rather than half. Prisoners serving longer sentences of four years or more would be eligible for release at the halfway point rather than two-thirds. The changes were due to be phased in, beginning with prisoners of less than 575 days.
The Government has also announced a new package of victim support, backed by £10 million, to provide better trauma-informed contact. A new national helpline will be established and efforts made to contact all affected victims to offer information and support.
Burnham added that the Government will deliver the fastest prison building programme since the Victorian era, aiming to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031. He has also asked Justice Secretary Alex Norris to look at removing more foreign offenders faster, review Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, and free up space in women’s prisons.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said: "The Prime Minister and I have reviewed these reforms, listened to the concerns and gone further to protect victims."
He added: "These are decisions no Minister would ever want to take but it is right these sickening crimes are excluded from these reforms. Victims will also have access to better support and reassurance that offenders leaving prison face tougher supervision and punishment."
The changes also introduce a new progression model which will end automatic release for badly behaved offenders. Those who break the rules or are violent behind bars face spending 100% of their sentence locked up.
