Burnham gets the early prison release changes he wanted - but at what cost?

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a change to early prison release policies, keeping hundreds of criminals behind bars who would otherwise have been released early. Burnham had been pushing for this decision for weeks, expanding the list of people ineligible for early release. However, the exact change that allowed him to make this announcement is unclear.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Justice warned that exempting more prisoners risked prisons reaching capacity and collapsing. Burnham highlighted the release of people on controversial indefinite sentences and the deportation of foreign criminals as measures that made his latest intervention possible. While new cells can be created in existing prisons, it would take months to retrofit them.

The adult male prison estate is already at 98% capacity, potentially causing concerns. Government officials concede that in the short-term, Burnham's announcement will likely result in prisons becoming even fuller. Despite this, the prime minister believed he had to act due to the intense pressure, particularly regarding the potential release of PC Andrew Harper's killers.

Burnham's inner circle believes that early misjudgments during Sir Keir Starmer's premiership caused significant damage, and they credit Burnham's first six weeks in office for smoother operations. The mother of PC Harper criticized the handling of the situation, and government officials have spoken with victims' families, who did not want the new measures to be leaked to the media.

Instead, a single big announcement was deemed the most appropriate. Burnham's decision was made public in an interview with BBC Breakfast to provide certainty to victims and the public, potentially risking criticism from the Speaker and accusations from the Conservative leader. Whitehall sources confirm there will be no further exemptions beyond the current measures.