A victims’ commissioner condemns new Labour plans that would allow some domestic abuse offenders to be released early from jail. Dame Nicole Jacobs says the government’s decision not to exclude domestic abuse perpetrators from the early release scheme risks putting victims’ lives in danger. She argues that allowing these cases into the programme could increase risk to people affected by domestic abuse.
Multiple reports state that the policy is expected to apply to a large number of prisoners, with around 5,000 people anticipated to be released in October. The commissioner’s comments focus on the absence of an explicit exclusion for domestic abuse offenders, rather than on the overall principle of early release.
The reports present the commissioner’s position as critical of the reforms, highlighting concerns from victims’ advocates. They describe the expected scale and timing of releases, while the stated point of dispute is whether domestic abuse should be treated differently under the scheme.
