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Some prisoner releases to go ahead despite Burnham’s pause
Posted
August 4, 2026
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August 4, 2026
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17:47Now PlayingAround a thousand prisoners in England and Wales won't be eligible for early release after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was tightening the rules and suspending the provisions until October.
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While this is relief for some victims of rape and grooming gangs, dread remains for many others.
The Starmer government had planned for thousands of prisoners to be released early to free up some urgently needed cells. Such was the alarm at this prospect in Burnham's first week on the job, that some exemptions have been made. Rapists or grooming gang members will have to stay behind bars. But thousands of other perpetrators of domestic abuse and other crimes, many of them against women, will not.
Their victims are terrified and more than ever the government will have to rely on the probation service to reassure them. But how can they when almost one in four frontline vacancies aren't filled and thousands of electronic tags don't work?
The probation officers union says more people, largely women, will be killed or harmed
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this report you can find places to seek help at Channel4.com/support
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