India, July 22 -- Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a sweeping government review of the controversial prisoner early release scheme on Wednesday, bowing to mounting public pressure and fierce political backlash.

Speaking during a visit to Bath, the newly installed prime minister indicated that his administration would re-examine the mechanics of the policy, ensuring that every facet of the framework is rigorously evaluated before it takes full effect in September.

The intervention follows days of profound public disquiet regarding the Sentencing Act, which risks allowing thousands of offenders to be released halfway or even a third through their sentences to combat chronic overcrowding in English and Welsh prisons.

Public...