The government’s early release scheme, designed to ease prison overcrowding, has raised concerns among victims of domestic abuse and violent crime, who fear for their safety as offenders are freed ahead of their full sentences. Starting October 1, approximately 1,350 inmates serving terms of up to two years and five months are scheduled for release over a two-week period, with an estimated total of 4,500 early releases planned over the following eight months.
While the government has exempted those convicted of 71 offences, including manslaughter, rape, and child grooming, a number of serious offenders remain eligible for early release. Among them is Michael Boyes, 40, from North Yorkshire, who was sentenced in January to three and a half years for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling behaviour against his former partner, Helen Duncanson. During one incident, Boyes strangled Duncanson with her necklace until she lost consciousness, also coercing her into financial debt and subjecting her to ongoing psychological abuse. Though sentenced to 42 months, Boyes is expected to be released after serving just 13 months.
Duncanson, who relocated due to the financial and emotional impact of the abuse, expressed fear for her life and frustration at the prospect of Boyes’s early release. “It’ll kill me one way or another, he will kill me either directly or indirectly,” she said, reflecting a broader concern among survivors about their safety as offenders re-enter the community.
Other cases include Jonathan Bates, jailed for five years for stalking and creating explicit deepfake images of multiple women, and Glen Sinclair, sentenced to nearly three years for stalking and threatening violence, with both eligible for release in the coming months. Daniel Bowler, sentenced to five years in December for a range of offences including intentional strangulation and sharing intimate images without consent, is also eligible for early release.
Victims have criticized the scheme, arguing that early release undermines their sense of justice and safety. Mollie Cousins, a survivor of prolonged abuse, described feeling “absolutely petrified” and doubted that proposed measures such as electronic tagging and restriction zones would sufficiently protect her, especially since harassment continued while offenders were still on bail.
Support organizations warn that domestic abuse often persists beyond conviction and imprisonment. Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women’s Aid, stressed that releasing perpetrators early could put lives at risk and discourage survivors from reporting crimes. Dame Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, criticized the government for underestimating the danger these offenders pose, highlighting victims’ declining confidence in the justice system and their fears of retribution once offenders are released.
The government has pledged intensive supervision measures, including electronic monitoring and designated restriction zones. However, reports indicate that staffing shortages in the Probation Service may prevent timely fitting of electronic tags for many offenders, raising concerns about enforcement of these restrictions.
As the early release schedule progresses, victims and advocacy groups continue to call for stronger protections and closer engagement with survivor perspectives to better manage risks in the community. The issue has sparked debate over balancing prison overcrowding with public safety, underscoring the complexities involved in criminal justice reforms affecting violent and abusive offenders.