Manchester’s mayor-turned-Prime Minister Andy Burnham says people convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming are excluded from a planned early prisoner release scheme. Both reports say the announcement follows Burnham’s decision to pause plans to release prisoners early in September as part of efforts to address prison overcrowding. Burnham also orders an urgent review of the approach, which he describes as a dramatic intervention earlier in the month. The coverage indicates the change is part of wider sentencing or release policy adjustments currently under consideration, with specific offence categories being singled out for exclusion. While the articles focus on which offenders will be barred, they also frame the decision as connected to the Government’s review of whether early release measures should proceed and under what safeguards. Neither source provides details on the full scope of the review or the exact legal mechanism by which the exclusions will be applied, but both agree that rape and serious child sex and grooming offences are among those not covered by the early release plans being reassessed.