Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims have been sent letters advising them their perpetrator may be released from prison early as a result of the Sentencing Act 2026.

This Government inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse, and we are fixing this crisis. Through the introduction of the landmark Sentencing Act, we are ensuring that courts retain the ability to impose custodial sentences on serious and dangerous offenders. Without these measures, the prison estate would have faced the risk of exhausting available capacity.

The progression model introduced by the Sentencing Act will come into force on 2 September 2026. The revised release arrangements apply to sentence types rather than to specific offences or individual cases. More than 18,000 of the most serious and dangerous offenders are excluded from these changes and will continue to serve custodial terms in line with existing arrangements.

Eligible victims who have opted into the Probation Service Victim Contact Scheme, where the offender is serving a standard determinate sentence, are being informed of the commencement of the legislation. Victim Liaison Officers will write to victims again to confirm whether the offender’s release date has changed as a result of the new arrangements.

As of 23 June 2026, 7,308 victims had been contacted and informed of the legislative changes. This figure should not be interpreted as the number of offenders affected, as not all offenders will necessarily receive an earlier release date. Additionally, not all victims choose to participate in the Victim Contact Scheme, and some offenders have multiple victims.