# Prison governors voice alarm at ‘revolving door’ of criminals released early – as minister defends Andy Burnham’s latest plan

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/prison-governors-voice-alarm-at-revolving-door-of-criminals-released-early-as-minister-defends-andy-burnhams-latest-plan/
- Published: 2026-08-31T15:10:44+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-31T15:19:53+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16092517/Prison-governors-criminals-released-early-minister-Andy-Burnham.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Governors warn early-release scheme creates a reoffending "revolving door"
- 4,500 more inmates to be freed early over next 10 months
- Policy tweaked to keep PC Harper's killers jailed, using IPP releases instead

## Summary

Prison governors have raised alarm over the "revolving door" of criminals being released early, as ministers defend the latest change to a scheme aimed at easing overcrowding in England and Wales. Around 4,500 inmates are set to be released earlier than planned over the next ten months, and while Sir Keir Starmer altered the policy at the weekend to keep PC Andrew Harper's killers behind bars, critics warn the adjustment will still free hundreds of other dangerous offenders and add pressure on police tasked with monitoring them. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones admitted prison capacity would remain "very tight" despite the changes.

Governors told the BBC the measures were only short-term fixes and that additional cells would require more staff to supervise them, with some describing a cycle of offenders being released early only to reoffend or breach licence conditions and return to custody. Figures show a record 51,419 inmates were recalled to prison in the year to March, up 28% on the previous year, while 70,066 have been freed early since emergency measures began in September 2024. To exclude those convicted of unlawful killing, such as Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, ministers are freeing extra cell space by releasing prisoners held under now-abolished imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences, a move former minister Lord Timpson warned could see high-risk offenders released without proper licence supervision.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.