Families of victims have expressed deep concern over government plans to release prisoners early to address overcrowding. They fear that perpetrators of serious crimes could be released sooner than their original sentences.
Calvin Buckley, whose pregnant partner Frankie Jules-Hough was killed by dangerous driver Adil Iqbal in 2023, said Iqbal may serve less time than initially expected. Iqbal's sentence was increased to 15 years on appeal, but under the new plans, he could be eligible for release after seven and a half years.
Gemma Chappell, the great-aunt of two-year-old Maya Chappell, who died in 2022, stated that Maya's mother, Dana Carr, is set for early release. Carr was sentenced to nine years for child cruelty by neglect and allowing her child's death.
The family of PC Andrew Harper, killed in 2019, also expressed devastation that two men jailed for his manslaughter, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, remain eligible for early release after serving half of their 13-year sentences. Debbie Adlam, PC Harper's mother, said, "Andrew deserves better than this and so do we."
Refuge, a charity, is "deeply alarmed" by the decision not to exempt domestic abuse perpetrators from early release, warning it could "put many domestic abuse survivors at risk."