Criminal Justice

Commissioner responds to new measures to temporarily delay some imprisonments

News, Statement / March 18, 2025

In response to the ongoing prison overcrowding crisis, magistrates were yesterday requested to temporarily delay the imprisonment of some individuals. This move is intended to alleviate pressure ahead of the upcoming ‘SDS40’ early release program which aims to free up prison spaces. The SDS40 scheme allows some prisoners to be released after serving 40% of …

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Commissioner says domestic abuse victims must be kept safe amidst response to prison overcrowding crisis

News, Statement / March 18, 2025

Today the new Government has announced plans to temporarily reduce the point at which prisoners are automatically released from 50% to 40% of their sentence, in response to the overcrowding crisis. This will exclude anyone convicted for a sexual offence, stalking, controlling and coercive behaviour, non-fatal strangulation, breaches of restraining or non-molestation orders, or who …

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Commissioner warns Prime Minister: Victims must not suffer consequences of prison crisis

News, Press release / March 18, 2025

Today the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs has written to the Prime Minister calling for urgent action to address the prison capacity crisis. The letter urges Government to act now or risk failing in its ambitious pledge to halve violence against women and girls over a decade. This warning follows new analysis from the Commissioner, …

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I am highly concerned for victims’ safety, says Commissioner, amid reports that police are being asked to consider making fewer arrests

News, Statement / April 30, 2025

Responding to reports that the NPCC has sent a letter to police chiefs asking them to consider “pausing” “non-priority arrests”, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, says: “Reports that police chiefs are being asked by the National Police Chiefs Council to consider arresting fewer people are sobering. As violence against women and girls is now …

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I fear for the safety of domestic abuse victims with the early release scheme, says Commissioner

News / April 30, 2025

A report published today by HM Inspectorate of Prisons into HMP Lewes found that the implementation of the government’s early release scheme was “undermining good, safe release planning and risk management”, including: Responding to the report, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, says: “When measures for potentially dangerous offenders are rushed out without proper planning, …

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Domestic abuse victims should not pay the price of prison overcrowding

News / April 30, 2025

In a debate in the House of Commons today, Minister Edward Argar confirmed that the Early Release Scheme has been expanded again, allowing prisoners to be released up to 70 days before the end of their sentence. Originally, prisoners were released up to 18 days before the end of their sentence, and in March it …

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Nearly eighteen thousand domestic abuse crimes missing from statistics

News, Press release / May 14, 2025

17,600 fewer domestic abuse crimes have been recorded in statistics published today, after police were instructed to deliberately count fewer crimes.  In June 2023, the Home Office instructed the police to only count one crime for each time a victim comes forward and allowed police to stop counting crimes of threatening or abusive messages. These …

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Legislation needed to tackle police perpetrated abuse, says Commissioner

News / April 30, 2025

Part I of the Angiolini Inquiry, published last month, looked at the circumstances and failures that led to the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a police officer in 2021. Today the government has announced that it has accepted all the government-led recommendations made by Part I of the inquiry. The government accepted recommendations …

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Police abuse hotline is a start but forces must properly deal with complaints, says Commissioner

News / April 30, 2025

Today the Domestic Abuse Commissioner has responded to the announcement of a new national line to root out corruption and abuse within the police. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, says: “There should be no place in the police force for perpetrators of domestic and sexual abuse. That victims will have somewhere independent to report …

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Domestic Abuse Commissioner responds to new report revealing the scale of domestic homicide and suicide

News / April 30, 2025

The Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides 2022-2023 Report, released today, examining domestic abuse related deaths in England and Wales has shown the scale of domestic homicides, and for the first time has recorded an increase in suspected suicides by domestic abuse victims. The report examines all deaths identified by police as domestic abuse related to improve …

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