Image source, PA MediaThe widow of PC Andrew Harper has described the possible early release of prisoners as “deplorable”, following reports that two of his killers could be freed early.
Lissie Harper said politicians were “making decisions from behind a desk that will have real and lasting consequences” for the families of victims.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham earlier said he would review the Sentencing Act policy that from September would see thousands of offenders in England and Wales eligible to be released earlier.
Speaking on Wednesday, Burnham said: “I can’t say that I can change the policy completely, but I will look at it in detail before we go further forward.”
He acknowledged that there was “pressure on prisons places” and that a failure to invest in the prison system in the past had created “an unacceptable situation”.
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were sentenced to 13 years in custody for manslaughter but could be released early under the new Sentencing Act.
PC Harper was killed after he was dragged to his death behind their getaway car. The car’s driver, Henry Long, was jailed for 16 years for manslaughter but would not be eligible for early release.
Burnham’s comments came after the mother of police officer Andrew Harper said the potential early release of two of her son’s killers felt like an “insult”.
In a separate statement released later on Wednesday, PC Harper’s widow Lissie Harper said: “It has taken me years to rebuild a life that was torn apart in a matter of moments. Years to pick up the pieces left behind by three men whose actions robbed Andrew of his life and stole our future.
“It is deplorable to me that we have reached a point where releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable. We speak of justice, accountability and standing with victims, yet decisions like this do the opposite.”
The overcrowding of the prison estate has been a problem for several years and successive governments have released prisoners early in a bid to free up space.
Tens of thousands of inmates have been let out of prison to create more space in jails since 2024.
The Sentencing Act, which was passed by Sir Keir Starmer’s government earlier this year, was designed to ease pressure on prisons, and will see some offenders spend less time in prison before release.
Burnham said: “I want to assure myself that everything has been looked at before this policy proceeds, and I can give that assurance that every single part of this I will look into with the justice secretary.”
Concerning the case of PC Harper, he said: “I feel for the family it’s an appalling crime that was committed.”
He said the “main perpetrator” of his death would not be eligible for early release.
Burnham also said it was not acceptable to joke about early releases and that it was right Defence Secretary Wes Streeting had apologised for comments he made that were caught on camera.
Nearly 40,000 prisoners released early under government scheme
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30 October 2025
Following PC Harper’s death, Lissie Harper campaigned for legal changes to see harsher sentences for the manslaughter of emergency workers on duty. Harper’s Law was among the new measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.
“When I fought for Harper’s Law, I was supported not only by the Conservative Government of the day but by the Labour Party too.” she said.
“That cross-party support helped make Harper’s Law a reality. Today, it feels forgotten.
“Andrew deserves better. Every victim deserves better. And the British public deserve a justice system they can have faith in.”
Image source, Thames Valley PoliceThe prison population in England and Wales has risen steeply since the mid-1990s, doubling in size between 1992 and 2012.
Shortly after coming into power, the Labour government, faced with warnings that prisons would run out of space within days, released thousands of inmates.
The Sentencing Act reduces the point of release meaning some prisoners could be let out after serving a third of their sentence, while those who would previously have served two-thirds will instead be released after serving half of their sentence.
The legislation also says courts should stop handing out short prison sentences of under a year, other than in specific or exceptional circumstances.
Katie Kempen, chief executive at Victim Support, said: “It’s encouraging to hear the new PM will be looking again at the early release policy.
“This review must urgently fix the fact that most victims currently have no way of knowing whether or not an offender could be released early.”
Conservative shadow justice minister Nick Timothy said: “Labour’s early release scheme has been catastrophic. Victims should not have to live in fear all summer waiting for a review.
“It would be shameful if the killers of PC Andrew Harper, grooming gang perpetrators and rapists were to get out of prison early, but this is what Labour had planned.”
Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said he had written to the government to make it clear he believed the early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers would be wrong.
There are just under 3,000 vacant spaces in prisons across England and Wales, more than this time two years ago when they were on the verge of reaching full capacity.
The Sentencing Act was created to help alleviate some of that pressure by letting out more than 5,000 inmates earlier than their potential release date so that more spaces would be created and staff weren’t overstretched.
If Burnham were to pull the plans, prison staff have told the BBC it could be “highly problematic”.
They had been expecting thousands to be released in the autumn under the new law – freeing up cells for people handed custodial sentences.
One senior prison staffer said “with such little headroom, we need more cells to put people in. Otherwise it’s going to get hairy again. We don’t want a repeat of 2024.”
