The Government has announced new measures targeting drones and illegal drugs in prisons, including the next phase of a £6.5 million counter-drone technology programme and an expansion of substance-free living units.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readThe Government is bringing forward £110 million from existing budgets to accelerate prison construction and conversions as ministers pursue a target of 14,000 additional places by 2031.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readAndy Burnham has ordered all manslaughter offences to be excluded from forthcoming prison release changes, alongside death by dangerous or drunk driving, causing or allowing the death of a child and historic child-sex offences.
Charlotte Mercer · 5 min readBridget Phillipson has defended the Government's early-prison-release reforms, warning that without action to ease overcrowding police could ultimately be forced to cancel arrests because the justice system had run out of custodial space.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readMore than 100 organisations have challenged Andy Burnham over the early release of domestic abuse perpetrators, warning the policy conflicts with Labour's pledge to halve violence against women and girls.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readFifty policing and law-enforcement leaders have urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to examine every lawful option to prevent the earlier release of two men convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper.
Charlotte Mercer · 6 min readPolice representatives are considering legal action over plans allowing Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole to leave prison earlier, as Sentencing Minister Jake Richards defended the Government’s position.
Charlotte Mercer · 5 min readPrime Minister Andy Burnham has defended the limits of his changes to the early prisoner release scheme, saying broader exclusions would risk the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing within months.
Charlotte Mercer · 4 min readLissie Harper has accused Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government of an ‘utter betrayal’ after two men convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper remained eligible for earlier release despite new exemptions for serious sexual offenders.
Charlotte Mercer · 5 min readConservative leader Kemi Badenoch has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to repeal provisions allowing the early release of certain serious offenders, arguing ministers can halt the scheme before further releases take place.
Staff member · 2 min read