‘What’s the point?’Domestic abuse service says early release changes are already worrying survivors
Changes introduced through the Sentencing Act 2026 have come into effect in England and Wales as of October 1st 2026.
A domestic abuse service covering Suffolk and Norfolk says planned changes allowing some prisoners to be released earlier are already causing fear and uncertainty among survivors it supports.
Leeway Domestic Abuse Services says some people approaching the charity have questioned whether there is any point in reporting abuse to the police, while others who have already been through the criminal justice system are worried about what an earlier release could mean for them.
Changes introduced through the Sentencing Act 2026 have come into effect in England and Wales as of October 1st 2026.
Under the changes, most prisoners serving standard determinate sentences will become eligible for automatic release after serving one-third of their custodial term, rather than the 40% or halfway points which currently apply in most cases.
Some prisoners serving sentences of four years or more for specified violent or sexual offences will move from automatic release at two thirds of their custodial term to the halfway point.
The Government has excluded people convicted of rape and certain serious child sexual and grooming offences from the changes following a review ordered by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
However, the changes will continue to apply to other eligible offences where a standard determinate sentence has been imposed.
‘I don’t want to report to the police’
Jools Ramsay-Palmer, chief executive of Leeway Domestic Abuse Services, said discussions around earlier release were already having an impact on some of the people seeking support from the organisation.
She said: “Already we have people that are coming who are saying, ‘I don't want to report to the police, what's the point?’
“You're telling me one of the ways I can keep safe is to go to court and get a protection order. But what's the point?”
Ms Ramsay-Palmer said Leeway had also heard concerns from people who had already spoken to police and were questioning whether to continue with their case.
She said some survivors whose perpetrators have already been convicted and sentenced are also worried about what any change to their release date could mean for their safety.
She described survivors asking: “I spent all of this time dealing with that trauma and sharing my story and waiting and going to court and he was finally sentenced. And now, now he's likely to come out. And what does that mean for me in my life?”
It is not clear from the interview whether any of the individual perpetrators referred to by Leeway would actually qualify for earlier release under the new arrangements.
Domestic abuse perpetrators not universally excluded
Concerns over the impact of the policy on victims of domestic abuse have also been raised nationally.
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, criticised the Government's decision not to exclude domestic abuse perpetrators as a category from the new release arrangements.
Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman has also argued the exemptions do not go far enough and called for the period before implementation to be used to put protections in place for victims.
The changes had initially been due to take effect in September but were paused while the Government reviewed the policy. They are now scheduled to begin on October 1, with eligible prisoners already in custody expected to be released in tranches.
Ms Ramsay-Palmer said the uncertainty surrounding who could be released was itself affecting some survivors.
She said: “For that woman or that child or that family, that man who they had trusted and loved actually is a really dangerous man.”
She added that Leeway did not yet have answers for survivors asking what the changes would mean for them, including how offenders released under licence would be monitored.
‘It puts them back in that space’
Ms Ramsay-Palmer said the impact could extend beyond immediate concerns about physical safety.
She said survivors can reach a stage in their recovery where their previous experiences are no longer a constant concern, but argued that uncertainty over release dates could bring those fears back into their everyday lives.
“This has moved that back into a here and now concern,” she said.
“It may be impactful on their children; it will be impactful on their mental wellbeing, which potentially will impact their work and school.
“It has a huge impact on people's lives.”
Ms Ramsay-Palmer described the uncertainty as “re-traumatising”, saying it could return survivors to a feeling of not knowing what might happen next.
What happens when prisoners are released?
Prisoners released automatically do not simply complete their sentence at the prison gates.
People released from a standard determinate sentence remain on licence and can be subject to conditions including restrictions on contacting particular people or entering certain places.
Electronic monitoring can also be imposed, and someone who breaches their licence conditions can be recalled to prison.
The Government has said people released under the new arrangements will initially face intensive probation supervision, while those assessed as posing the highest risk will continue to be supervised during the final stage of their sentence.
The Government has previously argued changes to sentencing are necessary because of pressure on prison capacity and has said measures are in place to supervise and monitor people following their release.
Following its review, ministers also announced stronger surveillance for people convicted of rape or serious child sexual offences when they are eventually released, including 12 months of GPS monitoring, alongside a new national helpline for victims affected by the changes.
Calls for Government to listen to frontline services
Ms Ramsay-Palmer said she wanted organisations working directly with survivors to be involved in decisions over how the Government approaches violence against women and girls and the criminal justice system.
She said: “If you're going to decide where you spend your money, then you must be talking to the member organisations about what we are seeing on the ground and what people are worried about and therefore what to address first.”
She called for a more joined-up approach and urged the Prime Minister to hear directly from frontline organisations and survivors.
“Listen to what we're saying to you. Listen to the fear amongst people. Listen to the reality. Come visit services,” she said.
“I would heartily recommend coming to listen to the voice of some of the people that have used our services to get a real understanding of what is going on, and that should influence what he does next.”
Government response
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said:
"We inherited prisons on the brink of collapse and are pulling every lever possible to fix this, building 14,000 new places. We've listened to victims and excluded a large number of serious offences from these measures, meaning dangerous criminals like those convicted of rape and certain child sex offences will stay behind bars for longer.
"The Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor have been clear that they wanted to go further but could not do so without risking the prison system collapsing within months, leaving police unable to arrest offenders – the very worst outcome for victims. To strengthen public protection, we are imposing the toughest-ever controls on offenders, including world-first restriction zones, the largest expansion of electronic tagging, and giving victims a say in offenders' licence conditions."
Guidance:
The Government is taking action to pursue perpetrators and protect victims of domestic abuse including:
- Providing £550m for victim services including specialist domestic abuse services;
- Introducing a new national helpline to ensure that victims have the help and a listening ear they need;
- Providing £500m to provide support for domestic abuse victims and their children in safe accommodation;
- Placing DA specialists in 999 call centres to support frontline responders to identify risk;
- Rolling out Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to provide strong, flexible protection for victims;
- introducing a domestic abuse identifier to improve how DA offenders are identified and managed.