Watchdog Warns of Victim Fear Over UK Prison Early Release Scheme

Thousands of criminals are set to be released early from prisons across England and Wales starting this Thursday, a move that the domestic abuse commissioner warns will leave victims living in fear. The new scheme is the first phase of a policy designed to free over 4,500 inmates by June.

Approximately 700 individuals serving sentences of up to 19 months will be released beginning Thursday morning. This policy follows a previous early release program launched two years ago, which saw more than 70,000 prisoners freed early.

Dame Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, expressed grave concerns, stating that survivors of abuse are being forced to uproot their lives due to a lack of trust in the safeguards in place. "It is frankly shameful that as the scheme begins... I still have no assurance that the danger perpetrators pose has been properly considered and assessed with meaningful input from victims," Jacobs said. She added that many survivors feel like an afterthought and are making their own arrangements for protection.

The early release scheme, initially devised by former Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, aims to alleviate overcrowding in prisons. Most prisoners who would typically serve 40% or 50% of their sentences will now be released after serving 33%. As the scheme progresses, individuals convicted of certain violent or sexual offenses, previously eligible for release after two-thirds of their sentence, will be let out at the halfway mark.

Ministers have stated that thorough risk assessments will be conducted before releases, with a presumption of electronic tagging. However, issues with the tagging system have been highlighted by watchdogs. A July report by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that the prison and probation service is expanding its electronic monitoring services while key components are not functioning effectively, potentially increasing risks to public safety. The NAO report indicated that over 5,400 individuals due for tagging by the end of March had not received devices. A separate report earlier this week revealed that nearly half of electronic tags are not fitted on time, with some offenders waiting up to five months, leading to repeated breaches of court and prison orders.

The policy has undergone revisions following public outcry. Prime Minister Andy Burnham initially excluded offenders convicted of rape, serious child sexual offenses, and grooming. Further revisions followed, excluding those convicted of manslaughter and other unlawful killing offenses, after Lissie Harper, the widow of murdered PC Andrew Harper, criticized the scheme, noting that two of his killers would have been eligible for early release.

Ministry of Justice figures suggest a potential link between the previous early release scheme and a rise in reoffending rates. The proven reoffending rate increased to 29.9% for July to September 2024, a 1.9% rise compared to the same period the previous year. The Sentencing Act, which includes the early release measures, also prevents courts from imposing sentences of 12 months or less, a move senior police chiefs have warned could lead to an increase in crime and cost forces an estimated £400 million annually.