Victims’ Commissioner’s submission to the Sentencing Review 2024/25

In October last year, following a string of issues faced by the prison system across England and Wales (including a number of early release schemes and other steps introduced to ease these pressures), the government announced an independent sentencing review. In January, 2025, the Victims’ Commissioner submitted her response to the consultation.

The review will re-evaluate the current sentencing system with the aim of never having to rely on emergency prison releases in the future and will be carried out based on the following three principles:

• Sentences must punish offenders and protect the public
• Sentences must reduce reoffending
• Expanding and make greater use of punishment outside of prison

In her response, Baroness Newlove’s highlights a number of victim considerations the review should take into account when replacing shorter prison sentences with ones served within the community.

These include the vital need to ensure offenders are effectively monitored by probation services, greater transparency around sentencing and improvements to the Victim Contact Scheme.

Links:

• Government’s sentencing review press notice
• Calls for evidence (now closed)
• Government’s sentencing review guidance