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Concerns have been expressed regarding the proposal to grant early release to prisoners with short sentences, which could potentially put victims of domestic abuse in serious danger.
Following the Justice Secretary’s announcement, prisoners may now be released from incarceration two months ahead of schedule in an effort to address the overcrowding issue currently plaguing prisons.
After Alex Chalk, a minister, presented a written statement to the House of Commons on Monday evening, the Ministry of Justice announced that prisons would be allowed to release individuals considered “low-level offenders” up to 35 days prior to their scheduled sentence end date.
Authorities stated that the announcement would also allow the administration to potentially extend the period of early release to a maximum of 60 days, should it become necessary in the future.
People who have been found guilty of terrorism, sexual, or violent crimes and are sentenced to four years or more will not be included in this proposal. However, those who commit domestic abuse will not be exempt.
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, cautioned that the proposed measures could have harmful consequences for victims of domestic abuse. She pointed out that domestic abusers are frequently repeat offenders and that the punishments they receive often do not reflect the true extent of the harm they cause or the danger they pose.
She stated: “It is unfair for victims to suffer as a result of overcrowding in prisons. Despite the implementation of the early release policy, there has been no clear assessment of how it has affected victims of domestic abuse or the probation system’s ability to effectively handle perpetrators.”
Ms. Jacobs requested a “special exemption for individuals who commit domestic abuse and stalking from this program”.
She stated: “The government should also guarantee proper funding and training for the probation service in order to effectively handle and protect victims from domestic abuse perpetrators.”
After The Independent exposed that the government is considering eliminating shorter sentences in order to address the issue of overcrowding in prisons, it was reported that numerous abusive individuals could potentially avoid consequences for their actions.
In 2022, a news source announced that 11,040 individuals had been imprisoned for harassment, stalking, and revenge pornography, with sentences of 12 months or less. There were concerns that these individuals would serve their sentences in the community due to overcrowding in prisons, leading the government to take action to relieve the strain.
Lawmakers, activists, and the government’s internal organization for addressing domestic violence expressed concerns to The Independent that perpetrators of domestic abuse and stalking could potentially evade punishment. The Labour party cautioned that the plans were hastily implemented without taking into account the wellbeing of victims.
Georgia Harrison, a popular figure on reality television, suffered from revenge pornography by her ex-boyfriend, Stephen Bear. She expressed her worries about the potential impact on victims if shorter jail terms were eliminated.
Following the release of The Independent’s article, the authorities declared that “individuals who engage in stalking, abuse, and repeated criminal offenses will still be sentenced to jail time”. They also stated that those who commit domestic abuse will still be subject to imprisonment, with the courts having the discretion to incarcerate any offenders who pose a significant threat of causing “psychological or physical harm” to their victim.
According to Amy Bowdrey, a representative from Refuge, a reputable domestic abuse organization that is partnered with The Independent, the recent government announcement is causing significant worry.
The statement reads: “We are aware that there is a lack of comprehension regarding domestic violence in the criminal justice system, resulting in perpetrators receiving brief imprisonment terms that fail to acknowledge the severity of their actions.”
Releasing perpetrators of violence against women and girls without an exemption puts their physical safety and mental well-being in danger. It is crucial that the government recognizes the potential risks of this policy for survivors.
She cautioned that the plans for early release are contingent upon a probation service that is underfunded and lacks resources, which her organization knows is not adequately protecting victims of domestic abuse.
The Labour party has expressed concern over the unprecedented 60-day extension and has criticized the decision as being completely unacceptable.
Labour’s shadow justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, expressed concern over the government’s secretive release of prisoners, including domestic abusers. She also raised questions about the indefinite activation of a temporary scheme by the government.
The Ministry of Justice has declared that the Prison Service has the authority to prevent the release of inmates if deemed necessary.
According to Mr. Chalk, we will be expanding the current supervised licence program for those nearing the end of their custody period to last between 35 and 60 days.
“We will facilitate this process for a limited amount of time and collaborate with law enforcement, correctional facilities, and probation authorities to make any necessary modifications.”
The senior conservative politician also mentioned that they will use electronic surveillance as needed to improve public safety. Government officials will periodically reassess the implementation of this tactic.
Charlotte Proudman, a barrister who specialises in violence against women and girls, added: “This push for even earlier releases, from the same justice system that continues to fail to protect women and girls from male violence, will only further crush women’s confidence and trust in the justice system. The UK sees dismal prosecution and conviction rates.”
According to Ian Lawrence, head of the probation union Napo, probation hostels are beginning to see individuals, who have been convicted of domestic violence, enter their facilities after being released from prison early. These hostels are specifically designed for high-risk inmates who are leaving prison.
We are worried that domestic violence is not taken seriously enough as a crime. Some politicians fail to recognize that domestic violence can be a starting point for individuals with a supposed lower-medium risk to escalate towards more severe offenses. This has been backed up by data.
At first, there is a case of domestic violence where the victim can receive a court order against their abuser. However, the abuser continues to harass them for six months. As a result, two women are killed every week by their ex-spouses or partners due to the insufficiency of the laws in place.
Source: independent.co.uk
