Mother of murdered boy, 15, told one of his killers may be freed

The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment.

The Sentencing Act 2026 follows a review led by former justice secretary David Gauke, which recommended an earned release scheme for prisoners to ease overcrowding.

Previously, Balaz would have been expected to serve two-thirds of his 11-year sentence before becoming eligible for release.

In an email sent to Taylor through the Probation Service's Victim Contact Scheme, the Ministry of Justice said the changes had been introduced following an independent review.

It said the reforms were intended to improve the effectiveness of sentencing and the management of offenders in the community.

The letter continued: "When an offender is released, they will enter the intensive supervision stage. We expect that the vast majority of prisoners will be subject to electronic monitoring."

Taylor did not find this reassuring as Balaz was on electronic monitoring when her son was killed.

She said: "No length of sentence can ease the pain that they've caused.

"Now knowing that one of them may have a sentence potentially reduced, it was a further slap in the face getting that email in June.

"I feel as though the systems that are in place to protect us cause more harm than good," she said.

Reporting from BBC News contributed to this story.