The mother of PC Andrew Harper said the family was 'grateful' her son's killers will not be released early from prison.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he 'couldn't have pushed the system any further' as he confirmed changes to the prison early release scheme ahead of the return of Parliament.
Prisoners convicted of manslaughter, indecent assault and death by dangerous driving will now be exempt from the scheme, designed to ease pressure on the prison system - and Makerfield MP Mr Burnham said he could now 'look victims in the eye'.
Around 1,000 prisoners affected by initial changes
The PM said around 1,000 prisoners will remain in prison because of his initial changes, while 'hundreds more' will stay behind bars because of the extra exemptions he announced on Sunday.
The three men convicted of the officer's manslaughter in Berkshire will be excluded from the early release scheme and remain in prison.
Mother's reaction to the announcement
PC Harper's mum, Debbie Adlam, told BBC Breakfast: "Of course, I’m grateful. I’m glad that we don’t have to go through any more of this now, and you know they will get to serve what they were actually supposed to be serving.
“It’s a really mixed bag of emotions, though, because on the one hand we are glad, but we’ve been brought through the mill, and we are only back at where we were to start with. You know, go back a few months, this is where we were – so we’re not making any headway or anything. We are just literally fighting to get back to where we were.
“So I am glad, and I’m really grateful that you know this has been the outcome for us. I worry immensely for people that it doesn’t happen for, you know, and I think realistically, the overall system has left some huge gaps still.
“And I just hope that what Andy Burnham says there, that they will be going into a further overhaul over the next few years – it really needs to happen for our sakes.”
She added that the past few months have been “quite traumatic really”.
Petition and government response
More than a million people signed a petition for the three to remain in prison.
Mr Burnham said he understood people's concern and anger, saying he 'shared' it. "That's why I took action during my first weeks as Prime Minister to block some of the very worst in society being released before they should," he said.
"We moved quickly to block vile criminals who commit rape, sexually abuse children and groom vulnerable young people."
He continued: “But I always said I wanted to do more. We will now not only be keeping offenders serving time for indecent assault locked up, but also those in prison for manslaughter and death by dangerous driving.
“This means that the awful criminals responsible for the killing of PC Andrew Harper will not have their sentence shortened.”
The Prime Minister ordered a review of the changes to the Sentencing Act, which is being undertaken by Justice Secretary Alex Norris and is set to be published when Parliament returns from summer recess this week. That followed widespread condemnation of the scheme when it emerged Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole could be released halfway through their 13-year sentences.
They were passengers in the car that dragged Pc Harper down a country road after he got caught in a strap attached to the vehicle as they fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019.
Mr Burnham said extra space in prisons would be created by deporting foreign prisoners and releasing inmates who are serving indefinite sentences under Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences (IPPs), which were given to offenders considers a significant risk of the public between 2005 and 2012.
He said a cross-party oversight group will look at how to release some prisoners serving indefinite sentences, warning it would require a “very careful” approach as some people still pose a risk.
