Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what risk assessment the Probation Service is required to complete before an offender convicted of a domestic abuse offence is released under the progression model.

Before offenders are released from custody, probation practitioners will conduct a thorough risk assessment, taking account of information which they receive from enquiries made of the Police to understand risks of reoffending and of harm the offender may pose to others. This informs the licence conditions and other controls needed to manage the risks which offenders present to their victims and to the general public. Probation practitioners will also take account of representations which victims make to their victim liaison officers as to the conditions they wish included in the post-release licence, for their protection and peace of mind. In the more complex cases, practitioners will also take into account a specialist assessment produced by a qualified psychologist.

Offenders released on licence are subject to a set of standard licence conditions and, where necessary to manage risk and protect victims, they may also be made subject to additional conditions such as exclusion zones, non-contact conditions and location monitoring. If they breach these conditions and risk is no longer manageable in the community, they may be recalled to prison.

From October, new tougher powers will include restriction zones, and the ability to prohibit offenders from driving, attending public events, or entering pubs, clubs and bars.

The Government is committed to ensuring that victims and others affected by the release of offenders can access timely information, support and guidance when they need it. That is why the Ministry of Justice has commissioned Victim Support to deliver the Victim Support: Offender Release Helpline, a dedicated telephone and live chat service available across England and Wales.