Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner, said: “I’m extremely pleased to see the Prime Minister take swift action to fully pause the early release scheme, which would have seen dangerous abusers released into the community without any protections in place for survivors.
“Ministers should never have underestimated the risk domestic abuse perpetrators pose to their victim. They know where they live, where they work and where their children go to school and they will stop at nothing to control, coerce and harm.
“It’s clear the prison capacity crisis is one the government needs to grip, but this should not come at the expense of victims’ safety. With the review now underway, Government must take this opportunity to restore faith and accountability in the justice system by fully excluding domestic abusers from this scheme – as they did when the emergency measures were first introduced.
“If this government is still serious about halving violence against women and girls in a decade now is the chance to show it.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor
When the Labour government – under Keir Starmer – introduced the Standard Determinate Sentence 40% (SDS40) early release scheme to alleviate the prison capacity crisis it included specific protections for victims of domestic abuse.
This included exempting offenders serving sentences for sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more; specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length (including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation); as well as offences concerning national security.
During the passage of the Sentencing Act 2026 these protections were not carried forward. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner wants to see these reinstated as part of the early release scheme review.