Andy Burnham has confirmed that rapists and serious child sex offenders, including those convicted of grooming offences, will be excluded from an early prisoner release scheme designed to ease overcrowding in England and Wales. The move follows a public outcry, including from survivors of sexual violence, which had already forced Burnham to pause the scheme in September for review; it will now be delayed until October. The decision matters because it responds to widespread anger over shortened sentences while attempting to balance public safety concerns against a prison system Burnham says is at risk of "collapse" without the changes.

Under the Sentencing Act reforms, around 6,000 offenders were due to be released after serving a third rather than half of their sentence, with those serving four years or more eligible at the halfway point instead of two-thirds. These exclusions add to 18,000 offenders already barred, including the most dangerous and those serving life sentences. Burnham also announced tougher community measures, including a presumption of tagging, GPS monitoring for rapists, and longer supervision, alongside a £10 million victim support package featuring a new national helpline. He said adult male prisons are now at 98% capacity and pledged the fastest prison-building programme "since the Victorian era", aiming for 14,000 new places by 2031.