The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Nicole Jacobs, has strongly criticized the Labour party's plan to include domestic abusers in an upcoming early release scheme. "The decision to not exclude domestic abuse perpetrators from this scheme is wrong and puts victims' lives at risk," Dame Jacobs stated in a message shared on social media. She is concerned that approximately 5,000 individuals, including domestic abusers, are expected to be released in October under revised sentencing changes.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham reassured the public that child sex offenders and rapists would not be included in this early release program. However, the decision to not extend these exemptions to murderers, paedophiles, and domestic abusers has caused distress to victims and their families. Dame Jacobs indicated that she met with Justice Secretary Alex Norris and informed him that the decision was "wrong." She urged ministers to withhold the release of domestic abuse perpetrators until victim safety can be assured.
Dame Jacobs emphasized that perpetrators of domestic abuse pose a significant danger, being fixated on their victims and willing to do anything to control or harm them. While acknowledging welcome injections of funding for specialist services and improved communication with victims, she feels that measures for victim safety are still being treated as an afterthought.
"It is critical that no abuser is released in October unless I am confident that victims' safety is not being compromised," she asserted. This requires a thorough risk assessment of perpetrators before their release and adequate resources for probation services to manage offenders rigorously in the community. She pledged to continue working with ministers to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse do not bear the brunt of the current crisis.
The early release scheme, known as SDS40, was initially introduced by the government to alleviate prison overcrowding. Under this program, certain criminals can be freed after serving just 40% of their court-imposed sentence. Since its launch in September 2024, more than 70,000 offenders have been released.
The controversy gained particular attention due to the case of murdered police officer Andrew Harper. Two of his killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, are eligible for early release halfway through their sentences. The driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible. PC Harper's wife, Lissie Harper, has described the prospect of their early release as "an affront to justice" and "an utter betrayal." His mother, Deborah Adlam, expressed bitter disappointment, stating, "Andrew deserves better than this, and so do we."
Justice Secretary Alex Norris apologized to PC Harper's family for the harm created by the decision. He explained that the early release scheme is necessary to prevent the prison system from collapsing, stating that without these changes, prisons would run out of space in October or November. The releases, originally planned for September, have been postponed to October to allow the probation service more time to prepare. Those released will face stricter probation conditions, including electronic monitoring and random drug testing.
The opposition Conservative party criticized the Labour government's policy, with leader Kemi Badenoch stating that killers, violent offenders, and those who have terrorized their partners will still be released. The Prison Governors' Association also voiced concerns, noting that late changes to the policy put significant pressure on prison staff and could lead to mistakes.