The mother of PC Andrew Harper has said her family are "paying the price" for prison overcrowding after discovering her son's killers remain eligible for early release from jail.
Debbie Adlam said her family are "bitterly disappointed" after learning their manslaughter charges would not be included on an exemption list from sentencing changes.
PM announces exemptions
Andy Burnham announced on Monday that rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming would be excluded from the scheme. The PM - who paused the plans in his first week in power - admitted he wanted to stop more offenders being released early but that Tory neglect of jails meant the system is on the brink of collapse.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he and Mr Burnham were both "angry" they were being forced to carry out the scheme to have a "functioning prison system". But they warned the alternative would see jails run out of space in the autumn, with new criminals unable to be locked up.
Family's reaction
The plans have triggered fury among victims, who will be informed of their perpetrators' early release. Ms Adlam this morning told BBC Breakfast: "We are bitterly disappointed. I don’t feel like we should be in this position.
"It’s not somewhere we would expect to be. We really feel we should have more support than this and, you know, Andrew deserves better than this and so do we."
She added to BBC Newsnight last night: "Apparently, the situation is, if nothing was done, then the prison system would fall completely. But we're paying the price for it. It's Andrew and his family, and many others like us, we're paying the price."
Details of the case
PC Harper sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019. The 28-year-old police officer died after getting caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a country road as three teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.
The driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and would not have been eligible for the Government's scheme.
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were passengers in the car and sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter following a trial at the Old Bailey in 2020, would become eligible for release after serving half of their sentences. Ms Adlam confirmed that Mr Norris had contacted her by phone to explain the situation.
Apology and response
When asked whether she accepted Mr Norris's apology, Ms Adlam said: "I do know that he was sorry, but there surely has to be other answers, other ways to look at and other things to explore. This decision was made very quickly."
Earlier, PC Harper's widow Lissie Harper described releasing killers early as "an affront to justice" and "an utter betrayal". She went on to say: "The level of disrespect the Government are showing to Andrew and other victims – and to their loved ones such as me – is beyond contempt."
Mr Norris said he was "sorry" that Ms Harper had been "put into this position" and that he understood the anger. "I know that she’s angry," he said on Tuesday morning.
"You know, frankly, the Prime Minister’s expressed his anger. I would express how angry I am too at being in a situation where we’re having to make significant changes that do have real impacts on people’s lives, so that we are able to have a functioning prison system.
"And I say, if we don’t, the consequences of this are, were we not to make these changes, then we would run out of prison places in this October or November. I know that’s difficult. I know that’s created harm, and it’s not Lissie Harper’s fault, and I’m sorry that she’s been put into this situation as a result, I genuinely am."
He added that the latest changes to the early release scheme would see 5,000 prisoners released over 10 months, down from 6,000.
Policy background
In his first week in power, Mr Burnham paused plans to release prisoners early in September after listening to concerns from victims.
Under the Sentencing Act, which became law earlier this year, prisoners serving time for some violent or sexual offences will become eligible for release halfway through their sentences, rather than serving the current tariff of two-thirds. Criminals including burglars and thieves are among prisoners who will be considered for release a third of the way through their sentences, down from the current 40%.
On Monday night, the PM announced anyone found guilty of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming will be blocked from the early release scheme, which will now come into force in October.
He admitted he wanted to go even further and ban other offenders from having their time in prison shortened. Mr Burnham assured the public that offenders will face tighter community supervision, including curfews and electronic tagging.
Mr Burnham added: "I want to be honest - I wanted to go even further as I know there will still be concerns about other offenders having their sentence shortened. But it’s not possible without the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing, which would put public safety at much greater risk."
Police reaction
Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: "I am beyond disappointed the Government is continuing to allow PC Andrew Harper's killers to be released early from prison despite the overwhelming recent public outcry.
"It is simple: if Andrew's killers were convicted today, they would receive life sentences due to the law that was created in his name. They would not be eligible for early release.
"This decision is demoralising for all police officers and our fellow emergency service workers, not just in the Thames Valley, that puts themselves in harm's way to protect and serve their community."
