Prisoners' Release
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims affected by changes to release dates are not currently enrolled in the Victim Contact Scheme.
Answered by Ministry of Justice
The Sentencing Act 2026 changes the proportion of a standard determinate sentence that must be served in custody before an offender is automatically released on licence. Eligible victims who have opted into the Probation Service Victim Contact Scheme will be informed of any revised release date by their allocated Victim Liaison Officer. Those eligible victims who chose not to opt into the Scheme may not lawfully be informed of the offender’s release date.
On 4 August, the Prime Minister announced that victims who are not eligible for the Victim Contact Scheme will, where possible, be notified that they may request information about an offender's release under the provisions associated with the Sentencing Act 2026.
Release dates are currently being recalculated to reflect the changes introduced by the legislation. As this work is ongoing, the number of victims affected by changes to release dates who are not enrolled in the Victim Contact Scheme is not yet available.
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