On the 1st October 2026, the UK Government’s Prisoner Early Release Scheme (the Progression Model) will begin. This means that some prisoners will be released earlier than their original release date. The rest of the sentence will be served outside of prison, with supervision and monitoring. Those that will be released from prison include domestic abuse perpetrators however this will not apply to all offenders and a list of exclusions can be found here: Sentencing Act 2026 offence exclusions – GOV.UK.
Those that have signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme should be contacted to receive information on the potential early release. You can find more information about the contact scheme here: Information about the Victim Contact Scheme – GOV.UK.
Event: Exploring support for CYP under the Progression Model
Exploring support for CYP under the Progression Model; Early Release of Prisoners Scheme
Join us for a discussion with Nessa who is a Senior Prevention Officer from Victim Support to learn about the support programme being offered to children and young people in England and Wales as a result of the Early Release of Prisoners Scheme.
What is Future Me? Future Me is a facilitated online peer support programme for children and young people aged 8-17 who may be experiencing uncertainty, worry or mixed emotions following changes to prison release arrangements. The programme has been designed by the WeMatter team, who have extensive experience delivering digital support programmes for children and young people.
This is a vital pathway to support for children and young people. Professionals from various backgrounds including health, education, police, social services and frontline support workers can refer into this programme alongside parents/carers of the children and young people needing the support.
Future Me is a facilitated online peer support programme for children and young people aged 8-17 who may be experiencing uncertainty, worry or mixed emotions following changes to prison release arrangements. The Future Me programme is run by Victim Support. Referrals can be made by calling Victim Support’s Offender Release Helpline on 0808 168 9280 and choosing option 2.
There is now a new element of the response package for survivors of violence against women and girls (VAWG) who are affected by changes to prisoner release dates under the progression model.
We have previously updated you on the launch of our VAWG hub for England which provides support for professional’s and takes referrals from the dedicated Victim Support Offender Release Helpline, this went live on Thursday 1 October. In Wales referrals from Victim Support go to the Welsh Governments Live Fear Free helpline (and onwards to specialist support services as previously updated).
For support
Anyone experiencing violence against women, domestic abuse or sexual violence, or abuse, or those concerned about somebody at risk – support is available to you now.
The Live Fear Free Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for women, children and men experiencing domestic abuse, sexual violence or other forms of violence against women.
