The widow of murdered PC Andrew Harper has branded plans for the early release of prisoners as "deplorable," in the wake of reports that two of the men convicted of his killing could be freed ahead of schedule. Lissie Harper stated that politicians were making decisions from afar that would have "real and lasting consequences for the families of victims."

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Wednesday that he would review the Sentencing Act policy, which is set to come into effect in September and will make thousands of offenders in England and Wales eligible for earlier release. The policy aims to alleviate pressure on an overstretched prison system.

Burnham acknowledged the significant pressure on prison capacity, stating that a "failure to invest in the prison system in the past had created an unacceptable situation." He assured that he would "look at it in detail before we go further forward," and would examine "every single part of this" with the justice secretary.

The potential early release of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in connection with PC Harper's death, has drawn strong criticism. PC Harper suffered fatal injuries in 2019 when he was dragged to his death behind their getaway car. The driver of the car, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence for manslaughter and is not eligible for early release under the new act.

Lissie Harper, in a statement released later on Wednesday, expressed her deep distress. "It has taken me years to rebuild a life that was torn apart in a matter of moments," she said. "Years to pick up the pieces left behind by three men whose actions robbed Andrew of his life and stole our future. It is deplorable to me that we have reached a point where releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable. We speak of justice, accountability and standing with victims, yet decisions like this do the opposite."

Overcrowding in the prison estate has been a persistent issue for years, leading successive governments to implement early release schemes to free up space. Tens of thousands of inmates have been released early since 2024 under such measures. The Sentencing Act, passed earlier this year, is intended to further ease this pressure by allowing some offenders to serve less time before release.

Burnham also commented on the case of PC Harper, saying, "I feel for the family, it's an appalling crime that was committed." He also addressed remarks made by Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, who had apologized for comments about early releases caught on camera, stating that it was "not acceptable to joke about early releases."

This policy review comes amid ongoing public debate about prison capacity and sentencing, with past early release schemes having already seen significant numbers of prisoners freed to manage jail populations. The exact impact and implementation details of the Sentencing Act remain a focus of concern for victims' families and legal experts.