Abused Women 'Fear for Their Lives' as Hundreds of Offenders Set for Early Release from Prison

Hundreds of domestic abuse offenders are being released from prison early under emergency government measures to ease overcrowding, prompting three victims to tell the BBC they now fear for their own safety. About 700 inmates are leaving jails in England and Wales on Thursday as the first wave of the scheme, with a further 3,800 expected to be freed over the coming year.

Under the policy, prisoners serving sentences of up to 19 months become eligible for release after completing just one-third of their term. Previously, most would have expected to serve 40% behind bars, with the remainder spent on licence in the community. Ahead of the releases, victims have received formal letters from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) informing them that the people who abused them will be let out sooner than anticipated.

Claire Milne, whose ex-husband Robert Dales was convicted in March of coercive control and possession of offensive weapons including samurai and ninja swords, said she had been told the 36-year-old would be freed early. Dales received a three-year sentence. Milne described a relationship marked by physical violence, threats to kill, and damage to doors and walls.

"I trod on egg shells throughout the entire relationship and it was almost like I had to coach myself into what to say just to ensure there wouldn't be an escalation," she said. Reacting to the release decision, she added: "I am scared that he will come after me. I don't want to die."

Milne rejected any suggestion that her concerns were exaggerated. "I am not a silly woman - I know that I've been in a very high-risk domestic abuse relationship and I know what he's capable of because I lived it," she said, describing herself as "incredibly angry" with a government that she believes is "not listening to victims."

The letters sent to victims acknowledge the distress the notifications are likely to cause. One extract reads that the offender has a revised release date, expected in the week beginning 9 November 2026, and states that the information "is likely to be unwelcome or distressing." It goes on to promise that "detailed plans will be put in place to manage any risks," adding that the safety of the victim and the wider public are "central considerations" and explaining how probation staff will manage the release and how victims can make representations about licence conditions.

A second woman, Karen Haynes, learned that her ex-husband Christopher Haynes, a former primary school teacher, is also due for early release. He was sentenced in April to 21 months in prison after admitting coercive control against her. She described the news as "a punch in the gut" and said she was distraught.

"We have fought so hard and we have had to use every inch of the system to get justice," she said. "I just find it devastating that somebody [who] can admit all of that can be released after only doing seven months of a custodial sentence." She said her ex-husband is now expected to leave prison in November.

For Haynes, the timing compounds the trauma. "He always made Christmas so hard," she said. "We were constantly scared, we wanted one Christmas without him and without us being frightened he will turn up - but it looks like we won't even get that now."

A third victim, identified only as Alice to protect her identity, was also subjected to domestic abuse and has been told her perpetrator will be released later this month. She asked the BBC not to name her or her ex-partner because she is frightened of what he might do. Her account echoes the central anxiety expressed by the other two women: that early release removes the sense of security they had begun to rebuild while their abusers were detained.

The releases come as prison staff told the BBC they are increasingly forced to place inmates in cells that are unsuitable because of the lack of space. Staff argue there is no alternative but to free more prisoners, given the urgent need for room. Prisons across England and Wales are operating at 98% capacity. The latest government figures show only 1,134 spaces remain across the adult male prison estate - the lowest number of vacant beds recorded this year.

The MoJ acknowledged that domestic abuse has a "profound and lasting" impact on victims, but insisted the government is committed to keeping the most dangerous offenders behind bars. It said those jailed for rape, child sexual abuse offences and manslaughter will remain in prison, and warned that going further than the current measures would risk the prison system collapsing. A department spokesperson also pointed to £1bn of investment in support services, including the placement of domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres.

For the women who spoke to the BBC, however, such assurances do little to calm the immediate fear of an abuser returning to the community. Their accounts highlight a tension at the heart of the policy: a system under such strain that it must release prisoners early, set against the safety of victims who were told their abusers would be locked away. Each of the three women now faces the coming weeks and months knowing the person who harmed them will be back on the streets - and, in at least one case, back in time for Christmas.