The Justice Secretary Alex Chalk MP announced today that the government will introduce a presumption against prison sentences of less than 12 months and allow the prison service to let some prisoners on short sentences out of jail up to 18 days early.
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Nicole Jacobs, says: “Many of those serving short sentences will be in prison for domestic abuse and stalking offences. The Ministry of Justice must seriously consider the safety of victims of domestic abuse and set out clearly how they will be protected.
“We cannot guarantee safety unless these reforms are accompanied by strong investment in high-quality perpetrator interventions and support for victims and survivors, as well as robust safety planning measures. That includes police officers proactively tackling those who breach domestic abuse orders and any community sentences.”