Burnham Reviews Early Release Scheme for 5,000+ Prisoners but Concedes He Cannot Reverse It

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham ordered a July 22 review of an early release scheme freeing 5,000+ prisoners in September 2026, including killers and sex offenders. The policy, passed under January's Sentencing Act, lowers the release point for serious offenders from two-thirds to half their sentence. Burnham cannot fully reverse it. He blames prison overcrowding on a decade of underinvestment.