Domestic abusers' early release from jail in new Labour plans is condemned by victims' commissioner

Published: 10:30, 4 August 2026 | Updated: 10:47, 4 August 2026 The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales has condemned the Labour Government's plans to include domestic abusers in the early release scheme.  Dame Nicole Jacobs said the decision not to exclude domestic abuse perpetrators from the scheme 'puts victims' lives at risk', as some 5,000 people are expected to be released in October under early sentencing changes.  Domestic abusers, murderers and paedophiles were not included in the criminals exempted from the scheme announced by the Government on Monday.  While prime minister Andy Burnham reassured the public that child sex offenders and rapists would not be considered for early release, many victims and their families - including that of murdered police officer Andrew Harper - were left devastated when the exemptions did not extend to murderers, paedophiles or domestic abusers.  The domestic abuse commissioner held meetings with Justice Secretary Alex Norris and said this morning that the decision made was 'wrong'.  She urged ministers to not release perpetrators of domestic abuse in October until she was confident victims' safety was not being compromised.  Writing in a statement shared to social media this morning, she said: 'The decision to not exclude domestic abuse perpetrators from this scheme is wrong and puts victims' lives at risk.  'As I told the Lord Chancellor just last week, the danger perpetrators pose to their victim should not be underestimated. These are individuals who are fixated on their victim and will stop at nothing to control and cause harm.  The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs (pictured), called the decision not to exempt abusers from the early release scheme 'wrong' Justice Secretary Alex Norris (pictured) apologised to PC Harper's family after it was announced that two of his killers are eligible for early release soon  'While ministers have rightly recognised the need to improve communication with victims impacted and given a welcome injection of funding to specialist services, measures that will keep domestic abuse victims safe still appear to be an afterthought.'  She continued: 'It is critical that no abuser is released in October unless I am confident that victims' safety is not being compromised.  'This means gathering information about the risk perpetrators pose to victims as part of a thorough risk assessment before they leave prison and providing probation the resources they need to manage more offenders rigorously in the community.  'I will continue to work with ministers to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse do not continue to bear the brunt of this crisis.'  The early release scheme - known as SDS40 - was introduced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in her previous role as justice secretary in an effort to reduce overcrowding in UK prisons.  Under the programme, some criminals can be freed after serving just 40 per cent of the sentence handed down by a court.  Some 9,958 offenders were let out during the first three months of 2026, and more than 70,000 criminals have been freed since the scheme's launch in September 2024.  Dame Jacobs previously said last Friday that she had held a 'very positive discussion' with the Lord Chancellor Alex Norris on the scheme.  She said she had 'welcomed his commitment to restoring victims' confidence' but had 'made clear that domestic abuse perpetrators must be excluded', adding: 'Survivors' safety must come first'.  Anger: Lissie Harper, pictured with late husband PC Andrew Harper, has condemned the early release decision Smirking: Albert Bowers, left, and Jessie Cole could be among those released 'within months' But, like many others, she was left disappointed by the Government's decision not to include some of the worst perpetrators in exclusions to the scheme.  The Justice Secretary apologised to the family of murdered PC Andrew Harper, as two of his killers remained eligible for early release.  Mr Norris acknowledged that the decision had 'created harm' but said the alternative was seeing prisons cease to function.  Two of PC Harper's killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, remain eligible for early release after their 2020 convictions for manslaughter despite an outcry from the officer's family that prompted a review of the early release plans.  The 28-year-old police officer sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019.  He died after getting caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a country road as three teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.  The driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and would not have been eligible for the Government's scheme, but Cole and Bowers were sentenced to 13 years and are now eligible to be released halfway through their sentences.  PC Harper's wife Lissie Harper has expressed anger at the prospect they could be released early, calling it 'an affront to justice' and 'an utter betrayal'.  Deborah Adlam, the mother of Pc Andrew Harper, said: 'Andrew deserves better than this, and so do we' after hearing of the decision not to exempt her son's killers from early release  His mother, Debbie Adlam, said the family was 'bitterly disappointed' by the decision, telling the BBC: 'Andrew deserves better than this, and so do we.'  Mr Norris said he understood the family's 'anger' and offered an apology, but added the early release scheme was necessary to avoid the collapse of the prison system.  He told Sky News: 'Were we not to make these changes, then we would run out of prison places in this October or November.  'I know that's difficult. I know that's created harm, and it's not Lissie Harper's fault, and I'm sorry that she's been put into this situation as a result, I genuinely am.  'But this is a decision we've had to take to make sure we have a functioning prison system.' Ministers announced on Monday that rapists and serious child sex offenders would be exempt from the early release scheme, after a review of the policy ordered by Andy Burnham shortly after he became Prime Minister. Mr Burnham said he had wanted to 'go further' with the exemptions, but this was 'not possible without the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing'. The releases, which had been planned for September, have also been put back to October to allow the probation service more time to prepare. Those released will face tougher probation conditions, including electronic monitoring, random drug testing and possible bans from driving, pubs and events such as football matches. The changes were part of the Sentencing Act passed earlier this year that cut the minimum amount of time many offenders would have to spend in prison. Labour said the changes were needed in part because the Conservatives had left the prison system 'at breaking point' because of overcrowding.  Mr Norris said the policy meant that the Government would not need to repeat the early release schemes that had previously been necessary to avoid prisons becoming full. The Government also said it would build 14,000 new prison places by 2031, with 3,000 already delivered in the past two years. But the Conservatives said victims 'deserve better'. Kemi Badenoch said her party would build more prison places, rent cells abroad and deport foreign offenders to ease overcrowding.  She said: 'Andy Burnham wants a round of applause for agreeing not to release rapists and child sex offenders. He's not getting one. 'This is only a partial climbdown. Killers, violent offenders, men who have terrorised their partners and more will all still walk out of prison in October thanks to Labour's early release scheme. 'Yet again victims are learning their fate from press releases.' The Prison Governors' Association (PGA) also criticised the late change to the policy, saying it had put 'huge pressure' on prison staff, making mistakes 'more likely'. PGA president Tom Wheatley said: 'Government needs to decide on a direction and stick to it, changing course at a late stage causes scarce resources to be used unnecessarily and puts prison and probation staff under extreme pressure.'