Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ordered a halt to the early release of prisoners in England and Wales after weeks of pressure from opposition MPs, victims’ families, and campaigners. Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, said the Prime Minister had “bowed to Conservative pressure” in pausing the scheme. In a letter to Justice Secretary Alex Norris, he questioned how ministers could “pause” a scheme when the Sentencing Act itself imposes a “duty to release” offenders. Reaction from victims and officialsLissie Harper, Pc Harper’s widow, had earlier called it “deplorable” that releasing prisoners early was even being considered. Prison governors and officers have separately warned that reversing expectations of early release could cause a backlash inside jails, with inmates who had expected to be freed for family events now facing disappointment.