Support plummets for early prison release scheme as less than one in ten now back it, poll reveals
There's been a fierce backlash after it was revealed that the exemptions won't be extended to cover the killers of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in the line of duty in 2019
Fewer than one in ten Brits support the government's decision to release certain prisoners early, exclusive polling for LBC has revealed.
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Research by IPSOS Mori reveals that 69 per cent of people now oppose the policy - up from 53 per cent two years ago.
Implementing the Sentencing Act - passed by Sir Keir Starmer's government earlier this year to free up spaces in prisons - is shaping up to be one of the new PM's biggest tests.
Andy Burnham announced upon entering No10 that he would pause the scheme, and decided to keep rapists and serious sexual offenders exempt from early release.
But there's been a fierce backlash after it was revealed that the exemptions won't be extended to cover the killers of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in the line of duty in 2019.
The PM's now ordered officials to draw up fresh plans by September which he hopes will create enough spaces so he can keep them behind bars.
And our polling today shows the scale of the problem he faces.
While most Brits say the previous Conservative government is to blame 'a fair amount or a great deal' for the current overcrowding in prisons (66 per cent), around 45 per cent think the same of the current Labour government - that's up 10 percentage points from September 2024.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Helen Powell, Head of the Crime, Cohesion, and Security policy team at Ipsos in the UK said: "The public remains concerned with the early release of prisoners as a solution to prison overcrowding, with opposition rising sharply across the political spectrum over the past two years, but most prominently amongst 2024 Labour and Lib Dem voters. This resistance is rooted in anxieties over public safety, as majorities expect early releases to drive up antisocial behaviour, violent crime, and reoffending rates.
"While a majority still attribute the broader crisis in prison capacity to the previous Conservative administration, scrutiny on the current Government's response is mounting. While Britons strongly support victim-focused sentencing, rehabilitation and tougher community measures, there is little appetite for shorter sentences or early release.
"How this scheme ends up being executed will be the first real test for Andy Burnham’s government, and will require balancing acute operational pressures in prisons against a public that demands tough sentencing, better protection for victims, and clear reassurances on public safety."
But a government source told LBC: "In 14 years, the last Tory government added just 500 prison places and cut thousands of police officers.
"This meant we inherited seriously tough decisions that we would never want to make. We’ve already delivered 3,200 more prison places and have got 3,000 more neighbourhood officers on the streets.
"We’ll leave no stone unturned in restoring the criminal justice system, so people can feel secure in their communities."
The government plans to delay the implementation of the Sentencing Act from September - for at least a month to give probation staff more time to prepare.
The law change will mean that some criminals will be eligible for early release from prison after serving just a third of their sentence, and others after half.
It largely reverses the changes that the Tories made in government which kept people behind bars for longer.
The most serious criminals on extended sentences - for murder and other serious crimes - are subject to parole board approval and other conditions to be elligible to be released early.
Ministers have already been forced to do two batches of early releases of prisoners to stop police from being able to make arrests and detentions.
Our polling reveals the worries among the British public about the scheme, which aims to fix the long-term lack of prison spaces.
Most people think the early release of some prisoners will increase levels of anti-social behaviour (62 per cent), levels of violent crime (59 per cent) and increase the proportion of offenders that go on to reoffend (58 per cent).
Crime and law and order is the fifth top priority for the British public - followed by the NHS, cost of living, immigration and the economy.
Just one in four are confident in the current government's handling of crime and justice in the UK - that's on a par with the 29 per cent who were confident in the previous Conservative government's handling.
And four in ten are worried about personally becoming a victim of crime - similar to levels a year ago.
In terms of what the public think should be done and the major problems with the system, most think the length of time cases take to go to trial are the biggest problem (80 per cent), with others saying prison sentences are too short (79 per cent) and there's not enough police available (78 per cent).