EXCLUSIVE: Ministers face calls to extend existing rules so that victims of all types of crime have the option to find out whether the person who wronged them is being released early
Every victim should be able to find out if the perpetrator of a crime against them is being released early, a charity has demanded.
The head of Victims’ Support told The Mirror she is alarmed that only a fraction of those affected by the early release scheme will be able to find out. Ministers have faced a backlash after sex abuse survivors received letters telling them their attacker would be freed earlier than originally expected.
Katie Kempen, Chief Executive of Victim Support, said people affected by other types of crime are in the dark about the person who wronged them being released. She said: “Victims and survivors must not be an afterthought in efforts to tackle the prison overcrowding crisis – they should be the Government’s priority. Having already shown extraordinary perseverance and resilience to endure painfully long waits for justice, many will feel shocked and frightened to learn that offenders may now be released months or even years earlier than expected.
“It is completely unacceptable that, for the vast majority, there is no way to even find out if or how they are affected. No victim should be left in the dark. Every single person affected by these changes should be able to quickly and easily find out how their offender’s sentence has changed and what it means for them.”
Currently those eligible for the Victim Contact Scheme (VCS) are able to find out if an offender’s sentence has changed. This is open to victims of violent and sexual offences where the sentence is a year or more behind bars. However Ministry of Justice (MOJ) stats show 58% of criminals given an immediate jail term are sentenced to less than a year.
Inability to find out about early release could undermine faith in the justice system, the charity warns. It has called on the government to ensure all victims are able to find out if a sentence has changed, and what it means for them.
The Ministry of Justice said early release has been introduced to stop prisons running out of space by November. It said those who do qualify for early release will face tough restrictions on their movements, such as tagging, and probation services are being ramped up.
Under new rules eligible prisoners can be released after serving 33% of their sentence if they meet conditions. The earliest release date for inmates serving over four years for violent or sexual offences, has been brought forward to 50%.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said “This government is fixing the prison crisis it inherited – building 14,000 more prison places and reforming sentencing so we can always lock up dangerous criminals. Without this decisive action, prisons will run out of space entirely as early as November and we will be unable to lock up serious offenders at all.
“Public safety and supporting victims is our top priority. Offenders who a judge has deemed the most dangerous are automatically blocked from early release, and prisoners who behave badly while behind bars face being locked up for longer.
“Anyone who is released faces tough rules such as restrictions on their movements, tagging, being banned from attending public events, pubs and clubs, backed by our record £700m investment into probation and 1,300 extra probation officers.”
Under current rules victims who opt into the Victim Contact Scheme will be notified of an offender’s release. When the Tories were in power extended notice was not given under previous release schemes.
The government said supervision of released inmates can be more intense than ever, and those who break rules will be immediately returned to prison.
Ministers are understood to be committed to delivering a service that provides victims with a clear route to request information about an offender’s release. Meetings have been held with victim support organisations recently, and the government has pledged to continue working with them.