Some victims ‘not told’ of offenders’ early prison release, charity warns

Some survivors of crime were not told that their perpetrators were to be freed as part of the government’s early release scheme, a charity has said.

At around 8am this morning the government released 1,700 offenders to ease overcrowding in prisons across the country.

Prisons expected to release several dozen offenders include Brixton, Humber, Berwyn and Risley.

But Restorative Justice For All (RJ4All), based in Plough Way, Rotherhithe, said the plan has been “rushed”, with some victims not warned of their offenders’ release, adding services across the country were underprepared to meet the surge in demand.

Professor Theo Gavrielides, founder and director of the RJ4All international institute, said: “We have been contacted by victims who found out today their offenders were being released.

“Some of these are domestic violence victims – we are talking about their abusers getting out and coming home to live with them.”

The Government warned that prisoners must be released early – with some having served just 40 per cent of their custodial term – or the country would face “unchecked criminality” because there would be nowhere to jail criminals.

Perpetrators of serious violent offences, domestic abuse and sexual offences, are supposed to be exempt from the scheme, but campaigners say the exemptions list is not comprehensive enough.

Mr Gavrielides said: “We agree with early release but rushing the scheme will not serve the law or victims. No one has been prepared.”

Mr Gavrielides said community centres, housing associations and mental health services will face “huge additional pressures” amid concerns that many released offenders will struggle to find housing or adequate support.

Food and housing security can reduce reoffending by up to 30 per cent, according to RJ4ALL’s research, while rehabilitation programmes that incorporate mental health support were found to improve long-term outcomes. 

Mr Gavrielides said: “Released offenders will need support to make sure they do not reoffend.

“But that support is not in place.”

RJ4ALL is a non-profit enterprise which supports 350 people a month through its food bank, digital drop-ins, employment and education workshops, youth clubs and daily meetings with both victims and ex-offenders.

To prepare for the increase in demand following the early release of offenders today, RJ4ALL has employed more staff and launched new workshops and mental health support hubs.

Mr Gavrielides said: “We are ready to respond but we are just one service, we need a coordinated Government response so we can become an effective support network.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “This Government inherited a justice system on the verge of collapse. The worst possible outcome for victims would have been to allow this to happen. Dangerous criminals would have walked the streets with impunity, knowing the police would not have been able to arrest them, because there would have been no prison cell waiting for them.

 “We have been forced into taking difficult but necessary action, with safeguards in place, so we can keep locking up offenders and protect the public.

 “Those released under this scheme will be subject to full probation supervision and will in many cases face tough restrictions such as tags, curfews and exclusion zones.”

Pictured top: HMP Brixton  (Picture: Google Street View)