Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing a major backlash over the Government's new prisoner-release regime after more than 100 organisations warned that allowing domestic abusers to benefit could undermine Labour's pledge to halve violence against women and girls.
A letter coordinated by Women's Aid calls on Burnham to exempt perpetrators of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls from the earned progression model, which is due to begin in October.
If ministers refuse to exclude those offenders, the organisations want their inclusion paused until stronger safeguards are demonstrably in place, including sufficient warning for victims before an offender is released.
The warning represents the latest escalation in a dispute that has already seen the Domestic Abuse Commissioner condemn the decision not to create a blanket exemption for domestic abuse perpetrators.
More than 100 organisations challenge Burnham
The Times reports that more than 100 organisations have signed a letter warning Burnham that the release policy conflicts with the Government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls.
The signatories argue that domestic abuse perpetrators pose distinctive risks because offending can involve persistent coercion, control and fixation on an individual victim.
They are calling for perpetrators of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls to be excluded from the scheme.
Alternatively, they want ministers to pause their inclusion until minimum protections for survivors are in place.
Campaigners demand three months' warning for victims
Among the safeguards sought is a commitment that victims of domestic abuse and other gender-based violence should receive at least three months' notice before their perpetrator is released.
Campaigners say this would give survivors time to make safety plans, contact relevant agencies and access specialist support.
They are also seeking more information about the numbers and profiles of offenders expected to be released so frontline services can prepare for the scheme's introduction.
The demands are claims and recommendations from campaign groups rather than measures the Government has currently agreed to implement in full.
Domestic abusers not categorically excluded
The Government has already excluded rape, serious child sexual offences and specified grooming offences from the Sentencing Act progression model following a review ordered after Burnham became Prime Minister.
Official Ministry of Justice guidance confirms that the progression model applies to offenders serving Standard Determinate Sentences, subject to offence-based and sentence-based exclusions.
Domestic abuse perpetrators have not, however, been given a blanket offence-based exclusion from the new arrangements.
That does not mean every domestic abuser will automatically be released at the earliest possible point. Individual eligibility depends on the sentence and offence involved, while the progression model is designed to make release timing partly dependent on behaviour in custody.
Domestic Abuse Commissioner says decision is wrong
Domestic Abuse Commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs has previously criticised ministers for refusing to exclude domestic abuse perpetrators as a group.
Following the Government's review, Jacobs said the decision was wrong and warned that it put victims' lives at risk.
She called for thorough risk assessments before release and sufficient resources for probation services to manage offenders rigorously in the community.
Her assessment is a warning from the independent commissioner rather than a verified prediction that particular offenders will commit further crimes after release.
Government points to tougher supervision
The Ministry of Justice says public protection remains central to the changes and has highlighted a series of measures intended to strengthen supervision after release.
The Government is investing £700 million in probation and community services and recruiting 1,300 additional probation officers this year.
From September, the Domestic Abuse Perpetrators on Licence scheme is being expanded from eight probation regions to all 12 regions across England and Wales, giving probation staff additional tools to monitor prison leavers considered a threat to former partners or children.
Ministers are also expanding electronic monitoring and introducing technology giving probation practitioners near real-time access to GPS monitoring information.
Victims can seek licence conditions
Ministry of Justice guidance published this month says eligible victims who are enrolled in the Victim Contact Scheme can receive information about changes to an offender's release date.
Victims can also make representations about licence conditions, which can include restrictions intended to prevent contact or reduce the risk posed after release.
The Government has separately announced new restriction zones that will allow some serious offenders to be confined to tightly defined geographical areas and monitored using GPS tags.
However, the full eligibility criteria for those restriction zones have not yet been published, and campaigners are seeking assurances about how widely they will protect domestic abuse survivors.
Prison capacity remains central to dispute
The Government argues that the progression model is necessary because of severe pressure on prison capacity.
House of Commons Library analysis records Burnham's explanation that excluding significantly more offences could risk a wider collapse of the prison system, which he argued would itself create serious public-safety consequences.
Campaigners reject the idea that pressure on prison places should result in domestic abuse perpetrators becoming eligible for earlier release and say survivor safety must be given greater weight.
The political challenge for Burnham is particularly sharp because the criticism is being framed directly against his Government's flagship commitment to halve violence against women and girls.
Sources
- The Times: Andy Burnham told early release scheme contradicts vow to women
- Domestic Abuse Commissioner: Response to the conclusion of the early release scheme review
- Ministry of Justice: Sentencing Act offence exclusions
- Ministry of Justice: Guide for victims about changes to prison release arrangements
- House of Commons Library: Changes to automatic prisoner release dates in England and Wales
- UK Parliament: Government answer on monitoring domestic abuse-related offenders after release