Latest news with #restrictionzones
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Restriction zones will ‘unduly influence' release of offenders, warns PCC
New restriction zones for domestic abusers could 'unduly influence' the Government's decision on which offenders to release, a police and crime commissioner has warned. Ministers are seeking to introduce restriction zones that will limit where abusers can go, to allow survivors to go about their daily lives without fear of seeing their offender. Sexual and violent offenders could be restricted to certain locations and tracked with technology, and would face jail time for breaching the conditions under new proposals. Until now exclusion zones exist to stop perpetrators from going to where their victims live. The measure comes as the Government plans to overhaul the prison system to curb overcrowding, which could see violent and sexual offenders released from jail earlier, and for more criminals to serve sentences in the community. Tens of thousands of offenders would be tagged, prompting concerns from the victims' commissioner for England and Wales over the Probation Service's ability to cope with rising numbers. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said that the new restriction zones were 'welcome' but 'caution is needed'. Ms Jones added: 'I'm concerned they will unduly influence the Government's decision on which offenders to release under its Early Release Scheme. 'I would like clarification over the length of sentence violent offenders will receive if they're recalled to prison. 'The current 28 days put in place by the Government as an emergency measure to free up prison places is clearly not a deterrent.' The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment. The mother of a woman who was killed by her estranged husband said she is praying he is given a restricted zone if he is released. Joanna Simpson, 46, was killed by her estranged husband Robert Brown in 2010 when he attacked her with a claw hammer in the family home. Brown was sentenced to 24 years in prison for manslaughter and a further two years for an offence of obstructing a coroner in the execution of his duty. Ms Simpson's mother, Diana Parkes, said she was 'delighted' about the new plans to restrict the movement of domestic abuse perpetrators. Discussing her daughter's killer, Ms Parkes told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'He's coming up for parole in January, I just heard yesterday. 'So hopefully when he comes out, we pray that he will be put in a restricted zone with a tag.' Ms Parkes, who was made a CBE for services to vulnerable children suffering from domestic abuse and domestic homicide, added: 'It's essential that victims of violent crimes should not live in fear when their perpetrators come out of prison on licence to serve the rest of their sentence, as it does at the present time. 'The perpetrator knows exactly where the victims are as they have exclusion zones, which are supposedly safe areas for the victims, but of course, the perpetrators know where they are and the minute they come out of their exclusion zone, the perpetrators could grab them or hurt them. 'Everyone has to worry all the time about where the perpetrator is when they live their normal life, because we're never told where they are at the moment.' Brown killed his millionaire wife one week before the finalisation of their divorce. He buried her body in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park and confessed to police the following day. He was cleared of murder after a trial, but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, with a psychiatric report saying he suffered from an 'adjustment disorder'. The Government has announced £700 million of funding until 2028/29 for the Probation Service to back up its reforms, as well as the recruitment of 1,300 new probation officers by March 2026. For the new restriction zones, probation officers will work with survivors to decide on banned locations for perpetrators, and will carry out detailed risk assessments. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones announced the new measure at the charity Advance in London on Friday. The victims minister said perpetrators will be GPS-monitored to have real-time data about where they are going, and will be subject to 'virtual boundaries' which if breached could mean they go to prison. She said: 'We're putting really strong safeguards attached to these so that we can give victims and survivors the confidence to carry on with their everyday lives. 'We're going to be outlining more details on this as well, as we're bringing in the legislation in the autumn.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Restriction zones will ‘unduly influence' release of offenders, warns PCC
New restriction zones for domestic abusers could 'unduly influence' the Government's decision on which offenders to release, a police and crime commissioner has warned. Ministers are seeking to introduce restriction zones that will limit where abusers can go, to allow survivors to go about their daily lives without fear of seeing their offender. Sexual and violent offenders could be restricted to certain locations and tracked with technology, and would face jail time for breaching the conditions under new proposals. Until now exclusion zones exist to stop perpetrators from going to where their victims live. The measure comes as the Government plans to overhaul the prison system to curb overcrowding, which could see violent and sexual offenders released from jail earlier, and for more criminals to serve sentences in the community. Tens of thousands of offenders would be tagged, prompting concerns from the victims' commissioner for England and Wales over the Probation Service's ability to cope with rising numbers. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said that the new restriction zones were 'welcome' but 'caution is needed'. Ms Jones added: 'I'm concerned they will unduly influence the Government's decision on which offenders to release under its Early Release Scheme. 'I would like clarification over the length of sentence violent offenders will receive if they're recalled to prison. 'The current 28 days put in place by the Government as an emergency measure to free up prison places is clearly not a deterrent.' The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment. The mother of a woman who was killed by her estranged husband said she is praying he is given a restricted zone if he is released. Joanna Simpson, 46, was killed by her estranged husband Robert Brown in 2010 when he attacked her with a claw hammer in the family home. Brown was sentenced to 24 years in prison for manslaughter and a further two years for an offence of obstructing a coroner in the execution of his duty. Ms Simpson's mother, Diana Parkes, said she was 'delighted' about the new plans to restrict the movement of domestic abuse perpetrators. Discussing her daughter's killer, Ms Parkes told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'He's coming up for parole in January, I just heard yesterday. 'So hopefully when he comes out, we pray that he will be put in a restricted zone with a tag.' Ms Parkes, who was made a CBE for services to vulnerable children suffering from domestic abuse and domestic homicide, added: 'It's essential that victims of violent crimes should not live in fear when their perpetrators come out of prison on licence to serve the rest of their sentence, as it does at the present time. 'The perpetrator knows exactly where the victims are as they have exclusion zones, which are supposedly safe areas for the victims, but of course, the perpetrators know where they are and the minute they come out of their exclusion zone, the perpetrators could grab them or hurt them. 'Everyone has to worry all the time about where the perpetrator is when they live their normal life, because we're never told where they are at the moment.' Brown killed his millionaire wife one week before the finalisation of their divorce. He buried her body in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park and confessed to police the following day. He was cleared of murder after a trial, but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, with a psychiatric report saying he suffered from an 'adjustment disorder'. The Government has announced £700 million of funding until 2028/29 for the Probation Service to back up its reforms, as well as the recruitment of 1,300 new probation officers by March 2026. For the new restriction zones, probation officers will work with survivors to decide on banned locations for perpetrators, and will carry out detailed risk assessments. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones announced the new measure at the charity Advance in London on Friday. The victims minister said perpetrators will be GPS-monitored to have real-time data about where they are going, and will be subject to 'virtual boundaries' which if breached could mean they go to prison. She said: 'We're putting really strong safeguards attached to these so that we can give victims and survivors the confidence to carry on with their everyday lives. 'We're going to be outlining more details on this as well, as we're bringing in the legislation in the autumn.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Restriction zones will ‘unduly influence' release of offenders, warns PCC
New restriction zones for domestic abusers could 'unduly influence' the Government's decision on which offenders to release, a police and crime commissioner has warned. Ministers are seeking to introduce restriction zones that will limit where abusers can go, to allow survivors to go about their daily lives without fear of seeing their offender. Sexual and violent offenders could be restricted to certain locations and tracked with technology, and would face jail time for breaching the conditions under new proposals. Until now exclusion zones exist to stop perpetrators from going to where their victims live. The measure comes as the Government plans to overhaul the prison system to curb overcrowding, which could see violent and sexual offenders released from jail earlier, and for more criminals to serve sentences in the community. Tens of thousands of offenders would be tagged, prompting concerns from the victims' commissioner for England and Wales over the Probation Service's ability to cope with rising numbers. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said that the new restriction zones were 'welcome' but 'caution is needed'. Ms Jones added: 'I'm concerned they will unduly influence the Government's decision on which offenders to release under its Early Release Scheme. 'I would like clarification over the length of sentence violent offenders will receive if they're recalled to prison. 'The current 28 days put in place by the Government as an emergency measure to free up prison places is clearly not a deterrent.' The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment. The mother of a woman who was killed by her estranged husband said she is praying he is given a restricted zone if he is released. Joanna Simpson, 46, was killed by her estranged husband Robert Brown in 2010 when he attacked her with a claw hammer in the family home. Brown was sentenced to 24 years in prison for manslaughter and a further two years for an offence of obstructing a coroner in the execution of his duty. Ms Simpson's mother, Diana Parkes, said she was 'delighted' about the new plans to restrict the movement of domestic abuse perpetrators. Discussing her daughter's killer, Ms Parkes told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'He's coming up for parole in January, I just heard yesterday. 'So hopefully when he comes out, we pray that he will be put in a restricted zone with a tag.' Ms Parkes, who was made a CBE for services to vulnerable children suffering from domestic abuse and domestic homicide, added: 'It's essential that victims of violent crimes should not live in fear when their perpetrators come out of prison on licence to serve the rest of their sentence, as it does at the present time. 'The perpetrator knows exactly where the victims are as they have exclusion zones, which are supposedly safe areas for the victims, but of course, the perpetrators know where they are and the minute they come out of their exclusion zone, the perpetrators could grab them or hurt them. 'Everyone has to worry all the time about where the perpetrator is when they live their normal life, because we're never told where they are at the moment.' Brown killed his millionaire wife one week before the finalisation of their divorce. He buried her body in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park and confessed to police the following day. He was cleared of murder after a trial, but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, with a psychiatric report saying he suffered from an 'adjustment disorder'. The Government has announced £700 million of funding until 2028/29 for the Probation Service to back up its reforms, as well as the recruitment of 1,300 new probation officers by March 2026. For the new restriction zones, probation officers will work with survivors to decide on banned locations for perpetrators, and will carry out detailed risk assessments. Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones announced the new measure at the charity Advance in London on Friday. The victims minister said perpetrators will be GPS-monitored to have real-time data about where they are going, and will be subject to 'virtual boundaries' which if breached could mean they go to prison. She said: 'We're putting really strong safeguards attached to these so that we can give victims and survivors the confidence to carry on with their everyday lives. 'We're going to be outlining more details on this as well, as we're bringing in the legislation in the autumn.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Sex offenders to be banned from leaving ‘restriction zones' under new plan
The UK government plans to introduce new "restriction zones" for sexual and violent offenders, limiting where they can go to protect survivors. Offenders will be tracked using GPS technology, and breaching these virtual boundaries could lead to imprisonment, shifting the responsibility from survivors to perpetrators. The measure aims to allow survivors to live their daily lives without fear, with probation officers working with them to determine specific banned locations. A domestic abuse survivor welcomed the proposal with cautious optimism, hoping for genuine change after feeling let down by previous governments. This initiative is part of broader prison reforms addressing overcrowding, supported by a £700 million funding boost for the Probation Service and recruitment of new officers.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Released violent offenders to be ‘locked' in restriction zones in England and Wales
Restriction zones aimed at 'locking' violent offenders – rather than their victims – into specific areas when they are released from prison are to be introduced by the government in England and Wales. At the moment, exclusion zones are often used to keep an offender away from their victim's home but many campaigners for women's safety have long called for this to be flipped. They argue a system of offender restriction zones will give victims more freedom because they can travel widely in the confidence they will not bump into their perpetrator. Technology, such as electronic tags, would be used to make sure offenders stayed in the allocated zone and if they strayed they risked being returned to prison. Under the plans, probation officers will conduct a risk assessment and work closely with victims on the creation of restriction zones, making sure they prevent contact while giving survivors the maximum freedom to rebuild their lives. The plans, announced on Friday by the Ministry of Justice, were welcomed by campaigners including the Joanna Simpson Foundation, which supports children affected by domestic abuse and homicide. In a statement the foundation co-founders, Diana Parkes and Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, said: 'For far too long, victims have had to reshape their lives to avoid their offenders. 'Exclusion zones have made victims feel trapped as though they are the ones serving a sentence, with the victim carrying the weight of someone else's crime. 'This is the much-needed change that has long been called for and is a powerful step forward. By placing restrictions on offenders instead, this will now give survivors the freedom they deserve to live, move and heal without fear. 'It will also be more cost-effective for those monitoring the perpetrators as they will be locked in specific areas rather than having to monitor the exclusion zones where the victims live.' The plans are designed to restrict the movements of the most serious sexual and violent offenders. Rhianon Bragg, who was stalked and held hostage at gunpoint by her ex-partner Gareth Wyn Jones in north Wales, welcomed the government's announcement. A wide exclusion zone was placed around her home when Jones was released but Bragg said she felt trapped in this area, and when she travelled out of it she felt at risk. Emma King, whose sister Julie Butcher was killed in Wiltshire in 2005, said: 'This is a vital and significant step forward in shifting the burden of control away from victims and placing it where it belongs – on offenders. 'For the first time, the justice system is taking a decisive stand: instead of victims being forced to uproot their lives to stay safe, the most serious sexual and violent offenders will now face strict boundaries that limit their freedom.' Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for victims and tackling violence against women and girls, said: 'We're putting victims first. This move will strengthen safeguards for victims.' Bringing in restriction zones will require primary legislation, which the government will introduce in parliament when time allows. The Ministry of Justice said wider changes throughout the probation system would also result in tens of thousands more offenders being tagged and at least 1,300 new trainee probation officers brought in next year to increase capacity. Further planned changes include: Increased tagging for domestic perpetrators. Requiring judges to flag domestic abuse at sentencing so prisons, probation and police can better identify and manage abusers. Expanding specialist domestic abuse courts. Bolstering transparency for victims at sentencing – including the provision of free copies of judges' sentencing remarks for victims of rape and other sexual offences.
