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Athena Stavrou, Political Reporter
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Athena Stavrou, Political Reporter
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Burnham to review 'inhumane' indefinite prison sentences |
The political news agenda has been dominated today by Andy Burnham's decision to block some of the worst prisoners from being eligible for the government's early release scheme.
The prime minister said he understood the “anxiety and distress” caused by the scheme and although he insisted he “wanted to go even further”, he has faced criticism from some who still face the prospect of their perpetrators being freed early.
But one element of his announcement will be welcomed by thousands of prisoners trapped on “inhumane” indefinite jail terms.
The controversial open-ended punishments, which have been compared to psychological torture, were scrapped in 2012, but not retrospectively, leaving 2,400 people in prison without a release date – some for decades after their crimes.
The Independent has long called for all Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) prisoners to have their sentences reviewed, with many having been jailed for petty crimes, such as stealing a mobile phone and some locked up as children.
Now, Mr Burnham has asked the justice secretary Alex Norris to review the sentences, offering fresh hope for the thousands of prisoners and their families.
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The president’s sudden – and surprising – turn on the energy giants he loves so dearly shows how much pressure he is under to ease the pain for Americans at the petrol pumps, says James Moore
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The UK economy as been impressively resistant to the war in Iran, but a report by the financial auditing company EY says the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route is set to finally burst the dam, writes James Moore
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Editorial: Immigration is not a defence matter – and Nigel Farage’s vainglorious posturing over the Channel only shows how much trouble he and his party are really in
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Who's winning the summer? Burnham, Badenoch and Farage assessed |
As Andy Burnham's second week in power draws to a close, his rivals are scratching their heads and plotting their summer challenges – with mixed results. Today, we bring you the ultimate preview of Westminster's summer.
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Who's winning the summer? Burnham, Badenoch and Farage assessed |
As Andy Burnham's second week in power draws to a close, his rivals are scratching their heads and plotting their summer challenges – with mixed results. Today, we bring you the ultimate preview of Westminster's summer.
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What else you need to know
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- More than 150 migrants were rescued from the English Channel on Tuesday after their dinghy’s engine caught fire and it capsized.
- A former neo-Nazi activist, who has a string of convictions including harassing a Jewish MP, has been selected to stand as a Conservative candidate in upcoming local elections.
- Donald Trump has claimed the UK is currently a “bankrupt country” as he urged the prime minister to open up the North Sea oil fields.
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Finally, Andy Burnham is making the right decision on Britain’s prisons
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John Rentoul, Chief Political Commentator
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John Rentoul, Chief Political Commentator
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Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood, his first justice secretary, did the right thing when they took over the powder-keg of overcrowded prisons from the Tories. An early release scheme and a prison-building programme.
But despite building 3,200 more prison places, the jails are full again, and Alex Norris, the new justice secretary, faces another outcry over letting out criminals early.
This time, he and Andy Burnham need to use the crisis to find out how Germany and the Netherlands have half our rate of imprisonment – and copy them.
Read it all here.
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For the best insider stories and behind-the-scenes gossip from Westminster, sign up for my weekly Commons Confidential newsletter, available exclusively to Independent Premium subscribers.
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Should Andy Burnham’s early prisoner release scheme go ahead?
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Andy Burnham has excluded rapists and serious child sex offenders from his early prisoner release scheme, but victims' groups and the opposition say the changes still don't go far enough.
Here’s what you had to say:
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Release and compensate the IPP prisoners first. That'll free up space and then you can move on to those who have been convicted of non-violent and non-sexual crimes.
Williaminthemiddle
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What's the alternative? Successive Tory governments promised thousands more prison places and delivered a few hundred. If an early release scheme for more those on shorter sentences isn't implemented, prisons will soon run out of places for major offenders. A large part of the problem also lies in the damage done to the probation service by the same Tory governments, meaning that it's a lot harder to supervise and rehabilitate early release prisoners. There needs to be a lot more investment in probation.
Tanaquil2
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Europe: The Way Back | Wednesday
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