Politics · PM blocks releasePM keeps PC Harper's killers jailedAired September 1, 2026 at 1:39 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Two men convicted in the killing of PC Andrew Harper will stay in prison after the0:04Prime Minister personally rewrote the release rules.0:07It is a reversal built around one case in a system at roughly 98% capacity with just0:12over 2,000 spaces to spare.0:14But keeping more people locked up narrows the government's own options for finding0:17space.0:18The question is where that space comes from now.0:20Andrew Harper was 28 on his wedding night, responding to a report of a stolen quad0:25bike when he was caught by the strap used to tow the bike and dragged more than a0:28mile along the road.0:29All three men in the car were acquitted of murder, but pleaded guilty to conspiring0:33to steal the bike.0:34The 18-year-old driver admitted manslaughter.0:37The two passengers, both 17 at the time, were convicted.0:40On the 31st of July 2020-20, the driver received an extended determinate sentence of0:4616 years plus a three-year license, a category outside this change.0:50Cole and Bowers each received 13 years in a young offender institution and an0:55automatic release point of two-thirds.0:57Under the new law, most standard determinate sentences fall to a one-third release1:00point.1:01and the more serious ones drop from two-thirds to half.1:04Cole and Bowers sat in the two-thirds band, so the change would have moved them to1:07half release around June or July 2027.1:10Sunday's exclusions remove that earlier release.1:13It is not an imminent release they lose, but an earlier one.1:16It applies to people already in prison, because the new release points were designed1:20to reach existing inmates as well as new sentences.1:23It does not re-sentence anyone.1:25It just stops the earlier release date from applying.1:28And none of this is the emergency scheme that has been running since 2024, the one1:32that releases eligible prisoners at 40% instead of 50.1:36That is not 40 days early.1:37It never covered these sentences, and it has produced more than 43,000 releases.1:42The new exclusions cover all forms of manslaughter, death by dangerous and drunk1:47driving, causing or allowing the death of a child, and historic child sex and1:52grooming offenses.1:53The Prime Minister had already paused the rollout in early August and excluded rape,1:57serious child sex offenses, and grooming.1:59Sunday went further.2:00The estate is near collapse.2:02Late August figures show 86,843 prisoners against a usable capacity of2:0788,937, headroom of just 2,094 spaces, at nearly 98%2:13occupancy.2:14The official June snapshot was 85,858 against a capacity of 89,120.2:20That is why the government relies on early release at all, so police and courts are2:24not forced to stop using custody.2:26The other lever is the imprisonment for public protection sentence, abolished for2:30new cases in 2012, but still held by a substantial cohort.2:34Of 856 unreleased IPP prisoners on June 30th, 851 were over tariff,2:41meaning their minimum term had already expired, and around 8 in 10 of that group had2:45been held at least 10 years past it.2:47A further 1,415 recalled prisoners are back in custody, a combined population of2:52about 2,271.3:00None of this happened in a vacuum.3:02P.C.3:03Harper's family and former colleagues campaigned once it emerged the two men were3:06inside the scope of the new law, and the Prime Minister said he had heard them.3:10Police federations and homicide victim groups welcomed the exclusion.3:14On the other side, the former conservative leader had called for emergency3:18legislation to stop early releases altogether, and the shadow justice secretary made3:22the political case against it.3:29So, where does the space come from?3:31The government says it will deport thousands of foreign criminals with powers early3:35next year to remove some immediately after sentencing and bar return.3:39Foreign nationals make up 12% of the population, more than 10,000 people, but3:44pressed on how many can actually be returned, the Prime Minister said hundreds and3:47no additional prisoner return agreements are in place, so other countries have to be3:51willing to take them.3:52The IPP route is the second substitute, and it is not an immediate fix.3:56The Prime Minister says he will end those sentences during this Parliament to 20294:01on a cross-party basis.4:02preferring over-tariff cases be considered first, but stressing the approach must be4:06very careful because some still pose risk.4:08No individual release conditions were published.4:11The number thrown around is roughly 500 more people held, with expected early4:15releases cut from about 5,000 to about 4,500 over roughly 10 months.4:19Government and press estimates, not a published statistical series.4:23The government now keeps more people locked up at the same time as it leans on early4:26release to keep the estate from tipping over.4:29The statutory instrument with the exact offense list, the Justice Secretary's4:33statement to Parliament, and how many of those remaining releases survive are what4:37comes next.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗