A new telephone service has been established to assist individuals concerned about the early release of offenders from custody.
The Victim Support Offender Release Helpline became operational on Thursday 1 October, coinciding with the implementation of revised prison release procedures.
The service provides complimentary, impartial, and private assistance to those who have been impacted by criminal offences or who anticipate being affected by modifications to an offender’s liberation date.
Individuals are not required to have definitive confirmation that an offender is being released ahead of schedule before reaching out to the service.
Qualified advisors deliver practical recommendations and emotional assistance, discussing worries about personal security and welfare while helping callers comprehend their choices and subsequent actions.
Where necessary, the helpline can facilitate connections to continued or expert assistance, encompassing dedicated casework involving risk evaluation and safety strategy development for individuals with more intricate requirements.
The initiative receives funding from the Ministry of Justice while being delivered on an independent basis by Victim Support.
Access to the service extends to witnesses, relatives, companions, advocates, and professionals working within relevant sectors.
Victim Support does not maintain records concerning specific offenders and cannot verify liberation dates or particular licence conditions.
However, advisors possess the capability to clarify the functioning of release dates and licence conditions alongside the methods available to callers for obtaining additional information.
Katie Kempen, Chief Executive at Victim Support, stated that those affected by crime have frequently already experienced considerable distress alongside what is often an extended and difficult progression through the legal system.
Discovering that an offender could be released sooner than anticipated may generate fresh worry, apprehension, and ambiguity for numerous individuals, and no person should have to manage such circumstances unaided.
She further noted that assisting individuals through the consequences of criminal acts constitutes the fundamental purpose of Victim Support.
Although it remains entirely unjustifiable that victims should continue to suffer the effects of a criminal justice system under considerable strain, the organisation expressed satisfaction at its capacity to deliver complimentary, independent, and expert assistance during this crucial period.
The Offender Release Helpline operates without charge and can be contacted on 0808 168 9280, Monday through Friday, between nine o’clock in the morning and five o’clock in the afternoon.