‘I hear the anger over early jail launch – we are going to at all times defend victims’

Writing for The Mirror, Alex Davies-Jones, Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women Minister, says the government takes the anger from victims about early prison release very seriously – and says why the move was needed

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When victims and survivors are told that the person who harmed them is going to be released earlier than they expected, it reopens wounds and affects how safe they feel.

I hear the anger and pain of victims and their families about changes to release dates due to come in under the Sentencing Act – and the Government takes their concerns very seriously. Supporting and protecting victims will always be our number one priority. That is why we looked again at these changes.

Alongside exclusions for rape and serious child sexual offences that were announced earlier in the summer, we will now also exclude all unlawful killing offences, including manslaughter and death by dangerous driving. Indecent assault, which has been used to prosecute, historic child sexual offences, will also be ineligible. This means more of the most serious domestic abuse offenders will be locked up for longer.

The Prime Minister has been clear that he wanted to go further, we all wanted to go further, but we must also be honest that reform is unavoidable. When we were elected just over two years ago, prisons were on the brink of collapse. At one point, fewer than 100 spaces remained, after just 500 places were added overall by the previous government in 14 years.

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If prisons run out of cells, police cannot arrest dangerous criminals, courts cannot sentence them. Ultimately, dangerous offenders cannot be locked up. That would be the worst possible outcome for victims, including survivors of domestic abuse. This government would never allow that to happen.

We’ve committed to the biggest prisons building programme since the Victorians. We have already delivered 3,200 new places with an aim for 14,000 by 2031. And we’re bringing forward £110 million of funding to speed up that work. But even creating space at this incredible pace, prisons are still close to their maximum capacity – so we have had to take difficult decisions to prevent our jails from maxing out.

Even if people understand we were forced to make this unbearably difficult decision, I know many people will still be concerned. That is why we’re bringing in the toughest ever controls to restrict offenders on release. For the first time, all those leaving prisons could wear an electronic tag. They may face curfews, bans from pubs and public events, and world-first restriction zones – limiting an offender’s movement and giving victims the freedom they deserve to live their lives. If an offender breaks the rules, they can be sent back to prison.

And we are clear that victims must have a say in the conditions inflicted on their perpetrator. We are currently reaching out to victims who will be impacted by the changes to offer them support, discuss license conditions and listen to their concerns.

Nobody should be left searching for answers alone. Victims deserve clear information, practical help and specialist support when they need it. That support is beginning now. From this week, the first letters are being sent to victims, updating them on their offenders’ release dates – keeping them informed and in the loop.

The Prime Minister is clear that the justice system must be centred on supporting victims. And we are backing that promise with an extra £18.9 million for victims’ support. This sits alongside more than £1 billion over the next three years as part of our mission to fight violence against women and girls, including £550 million for victims’ services and £500 million for safe housing for victims of abuse.

Our work to protect victims does not stop there. We are placing domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms to help responders identify risk, rolling out Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to protect victims of domestic abuse from their perpetrators and introducing a domestic abuse flag at sentencing so offenders are identified and support is put in place.

A new national helpline, delivered by Victim Support, will help anyone worried about changes to release dates. It will provide non case-specific information, emotional and practical support, and a listening ear – and I can confirm today the line will launch on 1 ^st October.

We are keeping more serious offenders behind bars, putting those released under the toughest controls, and building the prison places needed to fix this crisis for good. At every stage, we will stand with victims, listen to them and do everything in our power to keep them safe.

But locking up offenders can never be sole answer to Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this government – all women deserve to live their lives free from abuse and threat. We have committed to halving these crimes in a decade, and whilst that mission starts with enforcement and protection – cracking down on the perpetrators who commit these vile crimes, and giving victims the help they vitally need – it can’t stop there.

Last year, we launched our strategy to achieve this ambition – with 250 pledges spanning justice and police, but also health, education, and housing. This includes making sure every young person is offered an education about healthy relationships, investing in refuges so women have a safe place to go to escape abuse and making sure health professionals know what to do if they are concerned about a patient.

For me, the scale of violence and abuse suffered by women requires a whole-of-society approach to solve it for good. Every department of government is taking action. This is the long-term change this government is determined to deliver, making sure the next generation of girls grow up in a better, safer world.