Burnham wants ‘review’ of early release plans
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham promises to review the early prisoner release scheme in England and Wales, but with only weeks to go until it starts and the prisons full, is there enough time to make changes?
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The day began with Burnham promising to cap bus fares in England at £2. But by lunchtime, he was pledging to review the policy. His sudden rethink came after it emerged that the killers of PC Andrew Harper, who died after being dragged behind a car, could be among those freed early to ease overcrowding - something his widow has branded "deplorable".
When the law kicks in on 2 September, thousands - including killers, rapists and sex offenders - could be released after serving as little as a third of their sentence. The scheme is aimed at creating much needed room in the disastrously overcrowded prison system. But many who could be released represent trauma for the victims and potentially disastrous headlines for the new prime minister.
But what does the review mean, what can he do, and is the man accused by the opposition of being a people-pleaser too generous and vague with his promises?
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