英国首相安迪·伯纳姆要求司法部长亚历克斯·诺里斯寻找办法，将警察安德鲁·哈珀遇害案的两名凶手杰西·科尔和艾伯特·鲍尔斯排除在监狱早期释放计划之外。[1]科尔和鲍尔斯因过失杀人罪被判13年徒刑，原定于1月在缓解监狱过度拥挤的计划下获释，但此举遭到哈珀家属和警察部门的强烈反对。[1]要求当局干预的请愿书已获近90万人签名支持。[1]
2019年，哈珀在伯克郡萨瑟姆斯特德遭绑在车上拖死。[1]本次早期释放计划预计将约5000人提前出狱，这一规模从原先的6000人有所调整。[1]政府正在探索其他措施，以便在应对监狱拥挤问题的同时将更多严重犯人继续留在狱中。[1]副首相安吉拉·雷纳表示，司法部长将在9月向议会提交解决方案。[1]监狱管理部门曾警告，改变早期释放计划可能导致18个月内需要进行进一步释放。[1]参与该案的第三名凶手亨利·朗是车辆驾驶员，被判16年徒刑，不在早期释放计划的范围内。[1]
Britain's Prime Minister has asked the Justice Secretary to find ways to prevent the killers of Police Constable Andrew Harper from being released early under a government scheme aimed at reducing prison overcrowding [1]. Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were each sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter and were scheduled to be released in January as part of the early release initiative [1].
PC Harper was killed in 2019 in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, after being dragged behind a car [1]. The planned release of the two men has faced significant opposition, with a petition against their early release gathering nearly 900,000 signatures [1]. A third perpetrator, Henry Long, who was the driver, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible for the early release scheme [1].
The early release programme is expected to affect approximately 5,000 prisoners, a reduction from an initial plan involving 6,000 inmates [1]. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner indicated that the Justice Secretary would present solutions to Parliament in September [1]. However, prison officials have cautioned that modifying the early release scheme could necessitate additional prisoner releases within 18 months [1].