Families demand all manslaughter convictions be excluded from early release scheme
More than 30 bereaved families have written to the Justice Secretary calling for all forms of manslaughter to be excluded from the early prison release scheme, citing public safety and justice.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
More than 30 bereaved families have written to the Justice Secretary, Alex Norris, demanding that anyone convicted of any form of manslaughter be barred from the government's early prison release scheme. The letter, signed by families including Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby was killed in the Nottingham attacks in 2023, and Carolyn O'Connor, whose son Luke was stabbed to death in 2021, argues that victims should not bear the consequences of the prison overcrowding crisis.
The early release scheme, introduced to ease pressure on prisons in England and Wales, currently excludes murderers, rapists and serious child sex offenders, but not those convicted of manslaughter. The controversy intensified after it emerged that the killers of PC Andrew Harper, who were convicted of unlawful act manslaughter, would be eligible for early release. Following a public outcry, the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, ordered a review and the Justice Secretary is expected to set out plans on Tuesday to keep PC Harper's killers behind bars.
The families argue that the distinction between murder and manslaughter is irrelevant to them. Emma Webber said: "If somebody has been killed, they have been killed, a life has been lost. And there has been a perpetrator, whether that's voluntary manslaughter or murder, it's actually irrelevant." Carolyn O'Connor described receiving a letter warning that her son's killer could be released after just three years of a 15-year sentence as being "thrown back right to that trial three years ago".
There are concerns that the government may only exclude involuntary manslaughter, which would cover PC Harper's killers, leaving voluntary manslaughter, which includes diminished responsibility, still eligible. Support charities have warned against a "carve-out" for PC Harper's killers, saying all bereaved families of homicide suffer in the same way.
The government says it inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse and is fast-tracking ways to keep the most dangerous offenders behind bars, while also building 14,000 new prison places. But the families insist that creating space should not come at their expense. The Conservatives have said the scheme should be stopped entirely.
Emma Webber, who has also written to Alex Norris twice without a response, criticised the government's proposal as "morally bankrupt" and highlighted wider flaws in the system, including the fact that many offenders with mental health conditions are discharged from hospital orders after a decade. She said: "The stark reality is that 90% of people like Calocane who have committed the most heinous acts and are criminals, but they've managed to end up in the hospital system, nine out of ten are out within ten years."
The Justice Secretary is due to report back to Parliament this week, and the families say they will not stop campaigning until all forms of manslaughter are excluded from early release.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thirty families signed a letter to the Justice Secretary demanding all manslaughter convictions be excluded from the early release scheme. | |||||
| The early release scheme currently excludes murderers, rapists, and child sex offenders but not those convicted of manslaughter. | · | · | |||
| The Justice Secretary is due to report back when Parliament returns. | · | · | · | ||
| Calocane is serving a hospital order after being convicted of manslaughter by diminished responsibility. | · | · | · | · | |
| Emma Webber claimed that 90% of offenders with cases similar to Valdo Calocane in the hospital system are released within ten years. | · | · | · | · | |
| Emma Webber said she had not received a response from Alex Norris despite writing twice, but had been told he would be in touch. | · | · | · | · | |
| Support charities fear the government could exclude only involuntary manslaughter from the early release ban. | · | · | · | · | |
| The Conservatives say the early release scheme should be stopped. | · | · | · | · | |
| The early release scheme allows release after a third of a sentence is served. | · | · | · | · | |
| The government is considering excluding unlawful act manslaughter from the early release scheme. | · | · | · | · | |
| The government said it was confident it could keep PC Harper's killers and other serious offenders in prison. | · | · | · | · | |
| The Ministry of Justice budget is spent by the Department for Work and Pensions in two weeks. | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This segment from Sky News Today focused on the letter itself, reading out key passages and highlighting the legal distinction between unlawful act manslaughter and voluntary manslaughter. It framed the families' demand as a logical extension of the government's own position on PC Harper's killers.
- “We believe the government is right to recognize that offenses of this gravity should not benefit from Accelerated release as the government considers excluding unlawful acts of manslaughter from the scheme It must follow that all forms of manslaughter are also Excluded notably voluntary manslaughter, which by law is a more serious crime”
- “The death of PC Harper was horrific and the strength of public feeling around this case is huge and shared by us all”
The Wrap with Gillian Joseph provided deeper emotional context, featuring Carolyn O'Connor's personal story and analysis of the political bind facing Prime Minister Andy Burnham. It emphasised the scale of the early release scheme and the government's difficulty in balancing prison capacity with public anger.
- “I feel as though we've been thrown back right to that trial three years ago.”
- “There's been a massive public outcry all summer after it was revealed that some 6,000 initially inmates were set for early release from October.”
BBC News focused on the political mechanics, noting that the scheme was drawn up by Keir Starmer and that ministers are expected to set out plans on Tuesday. It also highlighted the government's confidence in keeping PC Harper's killers behind bars and the Conservative opposition to the scheme.
- “Ministers are expected to set out on Tuesday how they intend to keep two of PC Andrew Harper's killers in prison after a public outcry.”
- “The government says it's confident that it can find a way to keep PC Andrew Harper's killers behind bars as well as those found guilty of rape, child sex and other grooming offences, which are also now excluded.”
ITV Evening News concentrated on the human impact, using Emma Webber's quote about the irrelevance of the murder/manslaughter distinction and warning against a narrow carve-out for PC Harper's killers. It also noted the government's plans to build 14,000 new prison places.
- “If somebody has been killed, they have been killed, a life has been lost. And there has been a perpetrator, whether that's voluntary manslaughter or murder, it's actually irrelevant.”
- “This cannot be a carve-out for PC Harper's killers. All bereaved families of homicide suffer in the same way.”
This ITV News segment is nearly identical to the ITV Evening News report, repeating the same quotes and facts. It reinforces the same editorial focus on the families' demand and the risk of a limited exemption.
- “If somebody has been killed, they have been killed, a life has been lost. And there has been a perpetrator, whether that's voluntary manslaughter or murder, it's actually irrelevant.”
- “This cannot be a carve-out for PC Harper's killers. All bereaved families of homicide suffer in the same way.”
5 News gave a brief, headline-style summary, focusing on the open letter and the message that victims should not bear the consequences of the prison overcrowding crisis. It framed the demand as a direct appeal to the Prime Minister.
- “An open letter to the government says victims should not bear the consequences of the prison overcrowding crisis.”
GB News conducted a lengthy interview with Emma Webber, giving her platform to criticise the criminal justice system, the hospital discharge process, and the government's proposal as 'morally bankrupt'. It highlighted her personal campaign and broader systemic failures.
- “What the government are proposing is abhorrent and I've called it today and I will maintain that it's it's morally bankrupt”
- “The stark reality is that 90% that's nine in ten of People like Calocane who have committed the most heinous acts and are criminals But they've managed to end up in the hospital system nine out of ten are out within ten years”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.