Early release scheme: Victims’ families voice fury

Families warn of a justice gap

The early release plans, designed to ease prison overcrowding, have become one of the first major tests of public opinion for Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Why the early release scheme is under fire

Among those affected is Calvin Buckley, whose pregnant partner Frankie Jules-Hough, 38, was killed on the M66 in 2023 by Adil Iqbal, who had filmed himself speeding at 123mph before the crash.

Buckley told the Guardian that Iqbal could now serve less time than his appealed sentence, sharpening the debate over who ends up serving time behind bars.

“We’ve fought for a tougher sentence. What is the point of having an actual sentence if the government can just reduce that?” Buckley said.

Burnham has since moved to tighten the rules, barring rapists and serious child sex offenders from early release and reducing the number of prisoners eligible by around 1,000. The justice secretary has apologised to families affected by the scheme.

Ministers say the measures are needed to stop prisons running out of space, but bereaved families argue the changes still leave them fearing the early release of those who harmed their relatives.