As the first tranche of early prison releases commences on October 1st, Alice Russell-Harris, Public Affairs Lead at Refuge, says:
“Refuge and the wider violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector have consistently warned that failure to exempt domestic abuse perpetrators from early prison release schemes will put survivors at serious risk of harm. While we appreciate the need to ease pressure on prison estates, women and girls should not be left to pay the price. The Government has pledged to halve VAWG by 2034, but allowing perpetrators to walk free could jeopardise this commitment.
“Too often, the criminal justice system fails to recognise the danger abusers pose to survivors. Although perpetrators may be released with licence conditions, including electronic tagging and restriction zones, we know that license conditions are frequently breached by perpetrators, and we are concerned that an under-resourced probation service will not respond swiftly enough to keep survivors safe from further harm. Survivors have long told us about their concerns of the failures of electronic tagging, exemplified by recent reports revealing that electronic tags are often not fitted on time for release. Without proper monitoring and enforcement, Refuge is deeply concerned that newly released perpetrators will be able to continue their campaign of abuse once out of prison.
“With perpetrators set to be released imminently, some survivors may have no alternative than to seek emergency refuge accommodation away from their place of residence. Many refuge services are already under immense pressure after years of chronic underfunding, raising alarm bells over how these lifesaving support systems will cope with the additional strain of the early release scheme.
“The Government must stop the early release of these perpetrators until the necessary safeguarding measures, risk assessments and adequately resourced services are in place to properly support survivors. Without this, survivors will be left without effective protection from responsible agencies.
“We know that many survivors will be worried about the impact of early release on their safety and that of their loved ones. We want anyone affected, or who might have concerns, to know that support is available. Refuge’s 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline can be reached on 0808 2000 247 all year round, and our confidential live chat service is accessible online via www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk.”
