Offender Release Scheme Victims’ Champion

In London, there is a dedicated Victims’ Champion who works across a wide range of victim support services. These include specialist services for domestic abuse, sexual violence, and hate crime.

The Victims’ Champion helps ensure that victims and survivors receive the right support at the right time, including:

  • Information and guidance
  • Advocacy and support
  • Safety planning
  • Access to local and specialist services

The Victims’ Champion also acts as a key point of contact for organisations within the criminal justice system, providing information and support relating to the early release of prisoners and the services available to people affected by their release.

Frequently asked questions

The Government has introduced changes to prison release arrangements, known as the Progression Model. This means that some prisoners may be released earlier than victims and survivors were originally told to expect.

We understand that receiving news about a change to a prisoner’s release date may feel worrying, unsettling, or raise questions about your safety and wellbeing.
Support and information are available to help you understand what these changes mean for you.

Not all prisoners are affected by the Progression Model. Some offences are not included, and different release arrangements may apply depending on the type of sentence.

If you are part of the Victim Contact Scheme, your Victim Liaison Officer can provide information about your case and explain how the changes may affect you.

The Government is also contacting victims whose release dates have changed, including those who are not part of the Victim Contact Scheme. This communication will explain how to request information about a case and where to access support if you need it.

The Offender Release Helpline is a national helpline for victims and survivors affected by or concerned they may be affected by changes to prisoner release dates.

The helpline offers:

  • Emotional support
  • Practical guidance
  • And help with referrals to local or specialist services

You can call the helpline on 0808 168 9280

Find out more about the Offender Release Helpline.

If you are concerned about your immediate safety, call 999.

If you’re not worried about your immediate safety, you can also speak to your Victim Liaison Officer if you have one. They can give you information and discuss your concerns with you.

You can call the Offender Release Helpline on 0808 168 9280 or start a live chat.

You can also discuss your safety concerns with your Victims’ Champion, including talk through safety planning options and ways to manage your internal feelings of safety.

Your Victim’s Champion can help you access information around the Offender Release Scheme and can work with other criminal justice agencies to ensure you are informed about anything relevant to you.

You may also feel that your feelings of safety have been impacted as a result of learning about the Offender Release Scheme. You can discuss these concerns with your Victims’ Champion and implement safety planning measures to support your day-to-day living.

For any concerns around the impact of the Offender Release Scheme, your Victims’ Champion can provide trauma-informed emotional support to you and help you access additional wellbeing support through group work, digital resources and external referrals, where helpful.

To support someone that may be impacted by the Offender Release Scheme (ORS), you can take some time to make them feel heard. Their worries and possible changes related to the ORS may be impacting them in various ways and you can provide a safe space to them.

You can also signpost them to the Offender Release Helpline, at 0808 168 9280, for initial support and guidance.

If they are already aware of criminal justice agencies that were or are involved in their case, encourage them to reach out to them to receive further information.