Summary

  • A man whose pregnant partner died after being hit by a speeding driver says it's "not right" that her killer could be released early under a government scheme

  • It comes after ministers announced last night that prisoners guilty of rape, serious child sex offences and grooming will be excluded from the new policy

  • Calvin Buckley fears his partner's killer could be released after serving half his sentence and says the policy should not be "at the expense of victims"

  • The justice secretary says there would be a "prison capacity crisis" if the government restricted further those eligible for the scheme in England and Wales

  • Under the policy, due to begin in October, thousands of prisoners will be eligible to be released part way through their sentences - here's a quick guide

  • A review into the policy was ordered after it emerged PC Harper's killers, convicted of manslaughter when he was killed on duty in 2019, could be released early

  • Changing the act at a "very late stage" puts further pressure on prison staff, the Prison Governors' Association warns - read a timeline of the changes

Live Reporting

Edited by Angus Cochrane and Manish Pandey

  1. Justice minister: 'We would like to have gone further, but we cannot'

    Alex Norris sits in a dark suit and dark red tie in front of the backdrop for BBC Breakfast

    The justice secretary says 5,000 prisoners in England and Wales will be released earlier than planned as part of the revised scheme, which he describes as a "manageable load".

    Alex Norris says he recognises the "anger and upset" from individuals such as the mother of PC Harper, and this "should not be a position" that the police officer's family find themselves in.

    Norris says the government is trying to avoid running out of prison spaces as soon as October this year - and points out prisoners who committed rape, grooming, and serious child sex offences will be excluded from the scheme.

    "We would like to have gone further than that, but we cannot I'm afraid," he adds.

  2. 'Andrew deserves better than this and so do we'

    Woman with blonde hair in a conservatory

    Debbie Adlam, Andrew Harper's mother, has just spoken to BBC Breakfast, after earlier speaking to Newsnight.

    "Andrew deserves better than this and so do we," she says.

    She says her family don't know how the release, now due next year, will affect them emotionally - and she is worried how she will cope.

    "It's a horrible place to be," she says.

  3. 'Andy Burnham wants a round of applause - he's not getting one'

    Kemi BadenochPA Media

    Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says the government's changes to the early release scheme are only a "partial climbdown" - and victims "deserve so much better".

    "Andy Burnham wants a round of applause for agreeing not to release rapists and child sex offenders. He's not getting one," she says on X.

    Badenoch adds that "killers, violent offenders, men who have terrorised their partners and more will all still walk out of prison in October thanks to Labour’s early release scheme".

    She says the Conservatives have a "better plan" to tackle overcrowding in prisons, including building more prisons, renting prison spaces from abroad and to "remove foreign criminals".

  4. Norris: 'These are decisions no minister would ever want to take'

    Alex Norris in a navy suit and red tie. He appears to be walking on Downing Street.Getty Images

    As we just reported, PC Harper's mother says Justice Secretary Alex Norris called her to apologise for the fact her son's killers will still be eligible for early release.

    Announcing the changes, Norris said the government had "gone further to protect victims" after excluding prisoners who committed rape, grooming, and serious child sex offences.

    "These are decisions no minister would ever want to take, but it is right these sickening crimes are excluded from these reforms," Norris said.

    • Norris is speaking to BBC Breakfast shortly, followed by Radio 4's Today programme at 08:10 - follow live at the top of the page

  5. Justice secretary called PC Harper's mother to apologise

    The mother of PC Andrew Harper - who was killed in 2019 when he was dragged by a car down a country road as three teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft - has told the BBC she is "devastated" two of his killers remain eligible for early release.

    Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Debbie Adlam, said: "It feels like we're letting Andrew down again.

    "We've been through the justice system, we thought we'd done as best as we could.

    "We are devastated with Andrew's loss for every day of our lives now. We're devastated. Now it's just another thing to be devastated [by] on top."

    Adlam said that she had been phoned by the justice secretary, Alex Norris, who apologised to her.

    "Apparently, the situation is, if nothing was done, then the prison system would fall completely. But we're paying the price for it," she said.

    • Debbie Adlam will be speaking to BBC Breakfast soon - you can watch live at the top of the page

    Watch: 'The worst has happened,' says mother of PC Harper

  6. What is the early release scheme - and how is it changing?

    The policy, designed to ease overcrowding, will mean thousands of prisoners in England and Wales being eligible for earlier release:

    • Offenders serving standard fixed sentences, who were due to be released after 50% of their term, will leave jail after 33%
    • Serious sexual and violent offenders on fixed terms, who would have been released at 66% of their sentence, will be released after 50%
    • On Monday night, the government said the changes will not now apply to people guilty of rape, serious child sex and other grooming offences
    • The most serious offenders - including life prisoners and those who are subjected to extended monitoring - were already not eligible under the scheme

  7. Mother of PC Harper 'devastated' his killers set for early release under revised plans

    Debbie Adlam

    A revision to a government scheme to tackle prison overcrowding has left the mother of PC Andrew Harper "devastated" - as two of her sons' killers will still be eligible for early release.

    The change will see prisoners who committed rape, grooming, and serious child sex offences being excluded from an early release scheme for England and Wales, the government announced last night.

    But people guilty of manslaughter are still be eligible for earlier release.

    PC Harper, 28, was killed in 2019 when he was dragged by a car down a country road as three teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire.

    His family previously said they had received a letter from the Ministry of Justice confirming that two of the killers could be included in the scheme, becoming eligible for release after serving half of their 13 year sentences.

    Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, told BBC Newsnight she was "devastated".

    "It feels like we're letting Andrew down again," she said.

    "We've been through the justice system, we thought we'd done as best as we could. Now we're standing up to fight again."

    Justice Secretary Alex Norris and Adlam will be speaking on the BBC later this morning about the changes to the scheme. We will be bringing you all the latest updates here.