ENGLAND AND WALES — The victims commissioner and the domestic abuse commissioner have written separately to ministers, urging them to pause planned early releases of offenders convicted of crimes against women and girls in England and Wales. Charities state that victims have received letters informing them that offenders will start being released early under the new Sentencing Act from September.

Claire Waxman, the victims commissioner, and Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, stated that specific reassurances provided before the bill's passage have not yet been implemented. Ms. Jacobs wrote to the justice secretary and prisons minister, noting that a dedicated helpline for victims, promised in the Victims and Courts Act, was among the agreed measures. "I understand that planning for it has not even begun," Jacobs stated. She added that other promised safeguards included thorough checks before release and providing support services with a full understanding of perpetrator risk.

Waxman expressed a lack of confidence that offenders' risk would be adequately assessed. "I do not have confidence that offenders' risk will be adequately assessed, that victims' safety will be addressed, or that probation is in a position to manage this volume of offenders in the community," Waxman wrote to Lord Timpson. Former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips called for a halt to releases. "They need to halt all releases related to violence against women and girls until they can prove that proper risk assessments are being done in every case," Phillips said. She added, "Without the correct victim support systems in place, the state is leaving the responsibility of the prisons crisis in victims' hands."

The Sentencing Act, enacted in January, aims to prevent another prison crisis. The legislation does not include exemptions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes, domestic abuse, or terrorism. Under this new system, prisoners serving sentences for less serious crimes may be released after serving one-third of their sentence, a reduction from the previous 40%. Additionally, prisoners incarcerated for certain violent or sexual offenses are now eligible for release halfway through their sentences, rather than after two-thirds. "These were not vague commitments, they were the conditions on which this scheme was deemed acceptable to alleviate the capacity crisis and protect public safety," Jacobs said. She concluded, "To date, none of them have been met."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson stated that public safety and victim support are priorities. Ministers have indicated a £700 million investment in probation by 2028, designed to facilitate the largest expansion of tagging in history. Ministers also stated that offenders released will be subject to strict license conditions, heightened supervision, exclusion zones, and curfews. They added that £550 million is being invested in victim support services and that work on a new victim helpline is ongoing.