Andy Burnham has declared he will “not give up” on reforming the early release prison scheme, making clear he has “not accepted” that it is “impossible” to block the release of dangerous criminals.
Detailing his plans to reform the scheme, the Prime Minister said he is “confident that more can be done” in relation to both foreign criminals and the killers of PC Andrew Harper.
Mr Burnham said of the plan: “I’ve heard the depth of concern felt across the country about the potential release of the killers of PC Andrew Harper, and obviously, I feel for the family and the anguish that they’re that they’re going through.
“What I have done since I came into office is pushed the system every single day to go further. I’ve not accepted it’s impossible to do more, I believe there is more that can be done.”
He revealed: “So today I have asked the Justice Secretary to present a plan in early September to Parliament to go further so that we do not have to release as many people early.
“And that plan will include issues like returning more foreign national offenders to their country of origin and looking at the injustice of IPP sentences which have led to young people being in prison indeterminately, and that clearly is unfair.”
Pressed on whether the killers of PC Harper will be blocked from early release under his new plan, the Prime Minister made clear that he can go “much further” to ensure they do not walk free.
He said: “What I have said is that I believe we can go much further, and I hope we can get to a position where people who have committed the serious crimes are not in the position where they are being released early, and that would include the killers of PC Andrew Harper. That is my intention.
Andy Burnham has said he will ‘not give up’ to ensure ‘no prisoner is released early’
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“I believe we can do it, but I now have to give time to the Justice Secretary to develop that plan, put in the detail and present it to Parliament in around three weeks time.”
Challenging Mr Burnham on his previous claim that he had been “pushed to the very limits of what’s possible” on the matter, he hit back that he has “never accepted that there is nothing more that can be done”.
The Prime Minister said: “I came into office and started pushing on this issue, and I have pushed every single day in office since then, and I’ve never accepted that there is nothing more that can be done.
“We did first exclude those charged with rape, convicted of rape, serious sexual offences against children.
“Those convicted of offences linked to grooming, but I then said but we also need to go further.”
The Prime Minister said he has been pushing ‘every day’ to block the early release of dangerous criminals
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He stated: “And in my view, there is more that can be done to free up places in the prison estate, and that is what the Justice Secretary’s review will look at.
“I do believe we should look at, particularly at the sentences that have led to young people being in prison for many, many years, the so-called IPP sentences.
“I know there is concern across the political spectrum about those sentences.
“I believe it should be possible, with political consensus, to develop a plan that leads to the lower risk offenders being beginning to be released, and that will help ease the pressure, and it will create a situation where those convicted of the most serious offences say, stay in prison longer and serve their full term.”
Addressing the reforms to the early release as a whole, Mr Burnham made clear that he doesn’t want to see a “single prisoner” released early, including the killers of PC Harper.
He said: “I’ve been pressing every single day to go further. I don’t want to see a single prisoner released early, and that’s the spirit that I brought to the first three weeks that I’ve served as Prime Minister, and I’ve always worked like that.
“I’ve never taken no for an answer, not in the past, dealing with Hillsborough and other issues and not now when I’m facing the situation that I’m looking at now, it’s always been my style.
“I won’t give up and I believe there is more I can do.
“It’s my job to speak up for the public on this issue. I kind of take that duty very seriously indeed, and I’m confident that it’s more that can be done and will be done to address public concern.”
Asked whether he would meet PC Andrew Harper’s mother, Debbie Adlam, Mr Burnham assured that the Government will remain “close to the family” throughout the entire process.
He concluded: “My office was in touch with the family last night, and I know the Justice Secretary is in regular touch as well.
“So we will keep close to the family through this whole process, because we understand how difficult this process has been for them.”