'I Fear He Will Come After Me': Abused Women Speak Out as Hundreds of Inmates Walk Free Early

Hundreds of prisoners are being released early across England and Wales under emergency government measures designed to ease unprecedented overcrowding in the prison system, but the policy has left victims of domestic abuse fearing for their lives after receiving letters informing them their abusers will be freed sooner than expected.

Around 700 offenders left prison on Thursday alone, with a further 3,800 scheduled for release over the coming year. The letters sent to victims ahead of the releases have sparked anger and terror among women who say the government is prioritising prison capacity over their safety.

Among them is Claire Milne, whose ex-husband Robert Dales was convicted in March of coercive control and possession of offensive weapons, including samurai and ninja swords. He received a three-year sentence. The Ministry of Justice recently wrote to Milne informing her that Dales, 36, would be released early.

"I am scared that he will come after me. I don't want to die," Milne 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."

Describing the relationship that led to Dales' conviction, Milne recalled a sustained campaign of intimidation and violence. "There was physical violence," she said. "There were threats to kill, there was punching of doors, punching of walls. I trod on egg shells throughout the entire relationship and it was almost like I had to coach myself into what to say just to ensure there wouldn't be an escalation."

She described feeling "incredibly angry" with the government, accusing ministers of failing to listen to victims. Her words echo a growing chorus of criticism from domestic abuse charities and campaigners who argue that the early release scheme places vulnerable people at serious risk.

Under the new arrangements, inmates serving sentences of up to 19 months will be released after completing just one-third of their jail term. Most were originally expected to serve 40 per cent of their sentence behind bars, with the remainder served in the community. Extracts from a letter sent to one victim, shared with the BBC, stated that the offender's release date had been revised and acknowledged the news was "likely to be unwelcome or distressing." The letter sought to reassure the recipient that "detailed plans" would be put in place to manage any risks and that probation services would oversee the release. It also outlined how victims could make representations about licence conditions.

But for many victims, such assurances offer little comfort. Karen Haynes, whose ex-husband Christopher Haynes was sentenced to 21 months in April after admitting to coercive control, said she was distraught when she learned he would be released early. The former primary school teacher, whose prosecution was brought by South Wales Police, is now due to leave prison in November after serving only about seven months.

"We have fought so hard and we have had to use every inch of the system to get justice," Haynes said. "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 described the notification as "a punch in the gut" and said the timing was particularly painful given her family's history with her ex-husband. "He always made Christmas so hard," she said. "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."

A third woman, who asked to be identified only as Alice to protect her safety, has also been told her perpetrator will be released later this month. She is frightened of what he might do and has requested that neither she nor her ex-partner be named. Her case, like the others, illustrates the wide-reaching impact of a policy that critics say was introduced without adequate safeguards for those most at risk.

The releases come as prison staff told the BBC they are increasingly forced to house inmates in cells that are unsuitable because of the lack of space. Prisons across England and Wales are operating at 98 per cent capacity, with government figures showing just 1,134 spaces remaining in the adult male prison estate - the lowest number of vacant beds recorded this year. Staff argue there is no alternative but to release more prisoners because capacity is urgently needed.

The Ministry of Justice said domestic abuse had a "profound and lasting" impact on victims and insisted the government was committed to keeping the most dangerous prisoners behind bars. It said offenders jailed for rape, child sex abuse offences and manslaughter would remain in prison, but warned that going further would risk the prison system collapsing entirely. An MoJ spokesperson added that the government was investing £1bn in support services, including placing domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres.

For campaigners and victims alike, however, the measures raise troubling questions about how risk is assessed and who is ultimately protected. The government's stated aim is to avert a crisis in the prison estate, but the women at the centre of these cases say they are being asked to bear the consequences of a system stretched beyond its limits.

As the releases continue, the letters arriving on victims' doorsteps carry the same message of revised dates and promises of probation supervision. For Claire Milne, the fear is immediate and personal. For Karen Haynes, it is the loss of a long-hoped-for peaceful Christmas. For Alice, it is the dread of an approaching release date she cannot stop. Each says the same thing in different ways: they were told their abusers would be punished, and now they are being told those abusers are coming home.