'I fear for my life': Abusive ex-partners released early as prisons run out of space

Three women who have been warned that their abusive former partners will be freed from prison early under emergency measures to ease overcrowding have spoken of their terror at the prospect of the men returning to the community, saying they fear for their own lives.

Around 700 inmates are due to leave jails across England and Wales on Thursday as part of the government's early release scheme, with a further 3,800 set to be freed over the coming year. Victims have been sent letters by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) notifying them that their abusers will be let out ahead of schedule, in some cases years before they had been told to expect.

The releases come as the prison system in England and Wales operates at 98% of its total capacity, leaving only 1,134 free spaces in the adult male estate — the lowest number of vacant beds recorded this year. Prison staff have told the BBC they are being forced to place inmates in cells that are not suitable for them because there is simply nowhere else to put them, and argue that releasing more prisoners is the only way to prevent the system from collapsing entirely.

Claire Milne's ex-husband, Robert Dales, 36, was convicted in March of coercive control and of possessing offensive weapons, including samurai and ninja swords. He received a three-year sentence. Ms Milne has since been informed by the MoJ that he will be released early.

Describing the relationship, she said there had been physical violence, threats to kill, and repeated punching of doors and walls. She said she spent the entire relationship "walking on eggshells," effectively coaching herself on what to say in order to avoid triggering an escalation in his behaviour. "I am scared that he will come after me. I don't want to die," she said. "I am not a silly woman — I know that I've been in a very high-risk domestic abuse relationship and I know what he's capable of because I lived it."

Ms Milne said she felt "incredibly angry" with the government, accusing ministers of failing to listen to victims of domestic abuse. Her comments reflect a wider sense of betrayal among survivors who have already been through the criminal justice system once and are now being asked to prepare for their abusers' release a second time.

Under the revised scheme, prisoners serving sentences of up to 19 months will be freed after completing just one third of their term. Most would previously have expected to serve 40% of their sentence behind bars, with the remainder served in the community under licence conditions. The change applies automatically to a broad category of offenders and has been justified by the government as a necessary response to a prison population that has been allowed to grow beyond the estate's ability to hold it safely.

Karen Haynes, whose former husband Christopher Haynes was sentenced in April to 21 months in prison after admitting to coercive control, described learning of his early release as "a punch in the gut." A former primary school teacher, Haynes has also been notified that he will leave custody in November.

"We have fought so hard and we have had to use every inch of the system to get justice," she told the BBC. "I just find it devastating that somebody [who] can admit all of that can be released after only doing seven months of a custodial sentence." She said her ex-husband had always made the Christmas period extremely difficult for the family, and that they had hoped for one festive season free of fear that he might turn up at their door. "We were constantly scared, we wanted one Christmas without him and without us being frightened he will turn up — but it looks like we won't even get that now," she said.

A third woman, who has asked to remain anonymous and is identified only as Alice, was also subjected to domestic abuse. Her perpetrator is scheduled for release later this month. She asked that neither she nor her former partner be named because she is frightened about what he might do once he is no longer behind bars, saying the news left her feeling as though "the rug has been pulled out from underneath me."

The letters sent to victims state that the offender's release date has been revised and acknowledge that the information is likely to be unwelcome or distressing. They seek to reassure recipients that detailed plans will be drawn up to manage any risks associated with the release, and that the safety of the victim and the wider public are central considerations in that planning. Recipients are also told how the Probation Service will supervise the offender and how they can make representations about the licence conditions attached to the release if they wish to do so.

The MoJ said that while domestic abuse has a profound and lasting impact on victims, the government remains committed to keeping the most dangerous offenders behind bars. It said those jailed for rape, child sexual abuse offences and manslaughter will not be released under the scheme, and that going further than the current exemptions would risk the prison system collapsing altogether. A spokesperson added that the government is investing £1bn in support services, including the placement of domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres.

Campaigners and opposition figures have argued that the exemptions do not go far enough, noting that coercive control is itself a serious offence frequently linked to escalating violence and, in the worst cases, homicide. The three women interviewed by the BBC each described relationships marked by sustained fear, control and physical aggression, and each said they now face the same anxiety they endured before their abusers were prosecuted.

Thursday's releases represent the first wave of a policy that will reshape the custodial landscape over the next twelve months, with thousands of prisoners returning to communities that in many cases include the people they were convicted of harming. For the women now waiting, the practical questions — where their former partners will live, what conditions will be imposed, and how quickly any breach will be acted upon — remain largely unanswered.