Victims fear early release of abusive ex-partners under UK prison plan

September 30, 2026 at 09:11 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Three women in England and Wales say they fear for their safety after being told their abusive ex-partners will be released early from prison on Thursday. Around 700 offenders are due to leave prison under the government's early release plan, with a further 3,800 scheduled over the next year. The releases come as prisons operate at 98% capacity with only 1,134 spaces remaining in the adult male estate.

Key Facts

Around 700 offenders will be released from prisons in England and Wales on Thursday under the early release plan.
A further 3,800 offenders are scheduled for release over the next year.
Prisons in England and Wales are at 98% capacity, with 1,134 spaces remaining in the adult male prison estate.
Claire Milne's ex-husband Robert Dales was sentenced to three years in prison in March for coercive control and possessing offensive weapons.
The Ministry of Justice said offenders jailed for rape, child sex abuse offences and manslaughter would stay in prison.

Victim Warnings

Claire Milne said she was scared her ex-husband Robert Dales would come after her following his early release. Dales was convicted in March of coercive control and possessing offensive weapons, including samurai and ninja swords, and sentenced to three years. Milne described physical violence, threats to kill, and punching of doors and walls during the relationship. She said she was incredibly angry with the government for not listening to victims.

Prison Capacity

Prison staff told the BBC they are increasingly having to put inmates in unsuitable cells because of lack of space. Prisons across England and Wales are at 98% capacity, with just 1,134 spaces remaining in the adult male prison estate. The Ministry of Justice said going further than excluding rape, child sex abuse and manslaughter offenders would risk the prison system collapsing. An MoJ spokesperson said the government was investing £1bn in support services, including placing domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres.

Release Scheme

Under the new scheme, inmates serving sentences of up to 19 months will be released after completing a third of their jail term. Most inmates would have expected to spend 40% of their sentence behind bars, with the remainder served in the community. Former primary school teacher Christopher Haynes was sentenced to 21 months in April for coercive control against his ex-wife, who has also been notified of his early release.