The PM's decision comes after a police officer's widow said the possible early release of his killers was "deplorable".

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is pausing an early release scheme for some prisoners in England and Wales. His decision comes after the widow of PC Andrew Harper described the possibility of his killers being freed early as "deplorable". Under the new Sentencing Act set to come into force in September, some 6,000 criminals were due to be released at varying stages - the aim being to ease overcrowding. The prime minister has said that "no prisoners will be let out under this policy until we have conducted an urgent review and done everything we can to minimise risk to the public." His move now raises questions about how the scheme might operate. Earlier this year Parliament voted through the Sentencing Act 2026 to radically reform the rules governing the sentencing and management of prisoners. This was part of the Starmer government's plan to tackle an unprecedented crisis of overcrowded jails. One part of the plan means that most jailed offenders on fixed terms will leave jail after serving a third of their term behind bars, rather than at the halfway point. They will be monitored in the community and allowed to stay out if they can show they are on the road to rehabilitation.