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Campaigners plan month of pressure on Andy Burnham over IPP pledge
An exhibition, a Westminster event, a protest and legal challenges will keep the Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence in the spotlight through October 2026.
Andy Burnham
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MPs, peers and unions urge Prime Minister to set up Royal Commission on justice
Union leaders, a cross-party group of parliamentarians and the head of the Police Superintendents’ Association say piecemeal reviews cannot fix the problems facing prisons, probation and the courts.
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Revised early release timetable sets out ten tranches from October to June
About 700 prisoners in England and Wales will leave jail early on 1 October, with an estimated 4,500 released in phases up to June 2027 under the Government's revised scheme.
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Prime Minister pledges to end IPP sentences before the next election
Andy Burnham says the Government will legislate to terminate Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences this Parliament. Families and campaigners welcomed the pledge but warned against more false starts.
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Prison laundries may become cells as ministers narrow early release plans
The Government has excluded unlawful killing and historic child sex offences from Sentencing Act release changes, cutting the number due for early release from up to 6,000 to about 4,600.
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Burnham promises to end IPP sentences but cuts back early release scheme
The Prime Minister said people held under IPP sentences should go free by 2029, while ministers removed more offence types from the Sentencing Act early release scheme.
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Early release plan at risk of chaos after fresh changes and warnings from critics
A further policy reversal, objections from police chiefs and the Chief Inspector of Probation, and a governors’ warning about errors have left the early release plan in doubt.
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IPP campaigners give cautious welcome to Prime Minister’s review
Andy Burnham has asked Justice Secretary Alex Norris to review the abolished IPP sentence, under which more than 2,200 people remain in custody.
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Early releases to resume in October with rape and child sex offences excluded
Andy Burnham has revived the Sentencing Act release scheme a month late and for fewer prisoners. He has also asked officials to review IPP sentences.
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Andy Burnham pauses early release of an estimated 6,000 prisoners for urgent review
The new Prime Minister has halted releases that were due to begin in September under the Sentencing Act 2026, prompting warnings of chaos from probation staff.