UK expands exclusions from early prison-release scheme after Harper case

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on August 30, 2026, that the government will broaden exclusions from an early prison-release scheme, keeping people convicted of unlawful killing and several other offences in custody for longer.

The change means Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were convicted of manslaughter over the 2019 death of police officer Andrew Harper, will not qualify for release halfway through their 13-year sentences. Harper, 28, died after being dragged along a Berkshire road by a car as three men fled after stealing a quad bike.

Burnham said the revised proposal would also exclude people convicted of indecent assault and causing death by dangerous driving. He estimated that hundreds of prisoners would remain in custody under the changes.

The scheme was designed to create capacity in an overcrowded prison system. Burnham said the government plans to make additional space by deporting foreign prisoners and releasing some people serving indefinite sentences.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris is conducting a review of the policy. The government expects to publish it when Parliament returns from its summer recess in September 2026.

The revision follows criticism after it emerged that Bowers and Cole could have benefited from the original arrangements. A third man, Henry Long, was also convicted of manslaughter in 2020.