Monmouthshire MP Catherine Fookes has praised the Government’s efforts to stop ‘rapists and child sex offenders’ from being realised early in order to deal with the prison crisis.
The UK government’s early release scheme, introduced via the Sentencing Act 2026, is scheduled to begin on 1 October 2026 to combat a severe prison overcrowding crisis.
Following intense public pressure and active campaigning from victims' families, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a major tightening of the policy. Roughly 4,500 prisoners are expected to be released in tranches, down from an original estimate of 5,000.
Mrs Fookes praised the Government for their efforts but asked the Justice Secretary Stephen Norris how he will make sure that ‘no survivor will be harmed as a result of these releases.’
Speaking in a debate in Westminster, Mrs Fookes said: “I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, and I am grateful that he has worked hard to exempt more criminals from early release, such as rapists and child sex offenders. The VAWG sector is clear that perpetrators of violence against women should not be included in the early release scheme.
“I know how difficult this is, because the Conservatives left us a complete mess to clear up. Welsh Women’s Aid is really grateful that the victims fund has been announced, which will help it to look after victims. Could the Secretary of State reassure me that no survivor will be harmed as a result of these releases?”
Mrs Norris replied: “It seems to me that the test for us to pass in order to prove that to victims is the process of engagement, getting quality information to people at the right time, and then designing the controls on perpetrators. That is the best thing we can do to seek to close that gap. Again, I appreciate that the burden of proof falls on us to demonstrate that we are doing that.”
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