UK excludes serious sexual offenders from early release reforms after review

This decision follows an urgent review of sentencing reforms ordered by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. These offenders will continue to serve their full custodial sentences and will not benefit from earlier release under the new Sentencing Act. The government stated these offenses will be added to categories already excluded, which include over 18,000 offenders serving life sentences or those deemed a danger to the public.

The wider implementation of prisoner release reforms has also been delayed from September to October 2026 to allow probation services more preparation time and ensure victims can contribute to license conditions. Prime Minister Burnham indicated the review was prompted by public and victim concerns, acknowledging that while he wanted to exclude more categories, doing so would worsen prison overcrowding. He also noted that adult male prisons are at 98 percent capacity due to years of underinvestment.

Justice Secretary Alex Norris affirmed the strengthened reforms, emphasizing protection for victims. Offenders released under the reforms will face stricter community supervision, including electronic tagging, longer supervision periods, exclusion zones, GPS monitoring, and random drug testing. A £10 million package to support victims, including expanded contact services and a national h