Serious sexual and violent offenders released from prison will face strict movement controls in October, with confined areas limited to just a few miles wide. Justice Secretary Alex Norris announced the scheme, which uses GPS technology and gives victims a direct say in setting boundary lines.
How Restriction Zones Work for Released Offenders
The upcoming scheme goes beyond traditional exclusion zones, which ban offenders from specific locations such as a victim’s home or workplace. Instead, probation officers will specify confined areas tailored to individual offenders and developed in consultation with victims.
The policy will use GPS technology monitored by probation officers so that authorities can quickly identify anyone stepping outside their designated boundaries and return them to custody. Government ministers say the zones will be set to make sure those released can still access vital appointments and services that help reduce their chances of reoffending.
Probation officers will be able to limit where serious offenders can go for as long as it is deemed necessary. Those who breach their new boundaries could be recalled to prison. Norris is expected to come up with proposals to further restrict the early release of some prisoners when Parliament resumes next month.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris stated that victims would have a say in setting these boundaries, which would give them greater freedom, peace of mind, and the confidence to get on with their lives, adding simply that offenders should carry the consequences of their crimes rather than their victims.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris
Victim Advocacy and Practical Challenges
Amy Glover, director of domestic abuse services at the charity Advance, which supports women and girls who have experienced domestic abuse, praised the change in focus. However, she also called for reform to the criminal justice system saying many survivors of abuse chose not to pursue a criminal conviction, and for those that do only 5% reach conviction. At the same time, practical hurdles remain. A domestic abuse survivor named only as Kristina called the restriction zones a fantastic concept but noted that a perpetrator had continuously breached her indefinite restraining order without consequence. The biggest challenge would be to gain victims’ confidence in authorities to follow through their promises of protection, she added.
Prison Overcapacity and Early Release Pressures
The October rollout arrives against a backdrop of prison capacity strain and shifting early release policies. Andy Burnham is scheduled to present the outcome of his review into the early prisoner release scheme when Parliament returns from summer recess on September 1.
The early release initiative originally began in September 2024 with the aim of easing overcrowding in jails, and Mr Burnham paused plans for further releases initially due to come in September and pushed them back to October. Following public backlash—including anger from the family of killed police officer Andrew Harper over his killers being considered for release—the government altered eligibility rules. Mr Burnham has since vowed to prevent the early release of PC Harper’s killers altogether.
On August 4, the policy was updated so people sentenced for rape, serious child sex offences and grooming would not be eligible for early release. The Prison Governors’ Association warned that these changes to plans at a very late stage put further pressure on prison staff.
Public Sentiment and What Lies Ahead
Public resistance to the early release strategy is high. Earlier this month, exclusive polling for LBC revealed fewer than one in ten Brits support the government’s decision to release certain prisoners early. Research by IPSOS Mori reveals that 69 per cent of people now oppose the policy — up from 53 per cent two years ago.
While most Brits say the previous Conservative government is to blame a fair amount or a great deal for the current overcrowding in prisons (66 per cent), around 45 per cent think the same of the current Labour government — that’s up 10 percentage points from September 2024. Commenting on the findings, Dr Helen Powell, Head of the Crime, Cohesion, and Security policy team at Ipsos in the UK said: Dr Helen Powell, Head of the Crime, Cohesion, and Security policy team at Ipsos in the UK, noted that the public remained concerned with the early release of prisoners as a solution to prison overcrowding, with opposition having risen sharply across the political spectrum over the previous two years, most prominently amongst 2024 Labour and Liberal Democrat voters, and explained that this resistance was rooted in anxieties over public safety as majorities expected early releases to drive up antisocial behaviour, violent crime, and reoffending rates.
As Parliament resumes next month, implementing the Sentencing Act passed by Sir Keir Starmer’s government earlier this year to free up spaces in prisons is shaping up to be one of the new PM’s tests. How this scheme ends up being executed will be a test for Andy Burnham’s government, and will require balancing acute operational pressures in prisons against a public that demands tough sentencing, better protection for victims, and clear reassurances on public safety.
