How many victims are too many?

Every day, victims of domestic abuse, stalking, serious violence and other crimes are trying to rebuild their lives.

For many, the harm does not end when the relationship ends — or even when an offender is convicted and sent to prison. Victims can be left living with fear, trauma, harassment, intimidation and uncertainty long after the sentence has been handed down.

Beyond the Sentence UK began with my own experience as a survivor of domestic abuse. But it has quickly become something much bigger.

Survivors from across the UK have shared their experiences with me, and we are now hearing from people affected by different forms of serious and repeat offending. One common concern keeps emerging:

What happens when someone continues to pose a serious risk after conviction, while the victim is left carrying the consequences?

This is not about saying that every offender is beyond rehabilitation.

Quite the opposite.

I believe in rehabilitation because I have experienced it myself. I have made serious mistakes, served a prison sentence, battled addiction and completely changed the direction of my life. I have seen people leave prison and go on to build positive lives.

I believe people deserve the opportunity to change.

But rehabilitation has to mean more than simply serving time.

We need to ask whether there is evidence of genuine behavioural change, whether risk has reduced and whether victims and communities are actually safe.

Through survivor stories and experiences of serious offending, we are hearing concerns about:

• Repeat violent offenders being released while victims continue to face genuine safety concerns.

• Stalking, harassment, domestic abuse and coercive control continuing after relationships and criminal proceedings have ended.

• Repeated breaches of restraining orders, non-molestation orders and licence conditions.

• Victims being left to rebuild their lives while continuing to fear the offender’s release.

• Children and families being affected long after the original offence.

• The use of contraband mobile phones and other means of communication to contact, intimidate or manipulate victims.

• The difficulty victims can face when trying to make repeated incidents understood as part of a wider pattern of behaviour.

• People being released without sufficient evidence that the behaviour that caused the original harm has genuinely changed.

At the same time, we must recognise another important truth.

There are people who do change.

There are former offenders who leave prison, overcome addiction, learn new skills, build families, find employment and become positive members of society.

We should not lose sight of them either.

That is why Beyond the Sentence UK is not a campaign against rehabilitation.

It is a campaign for meaningful rehabilitation alongside meaningful protection.

We believe people who genuinely want to change should be given opportunities to do so. In the future, we want Beyond the Sentence UK to explore practical rehabilitation programmes, including fitness, mentoring, skills and employment pathways, helping people build a life away from crime.

But where there is clear evidence of repeated violence, continued offending, serious breaches or ongoing risk, victim safety must be taken seriously.

Prison overcrowding cannot become a reason for victims to carry even greater risk.

Early release and community supervision should not simply be about whether someone has served enough of a sentence. We believe there should be meaningful consideration of behaviour, rehabilitation, repeated offending, ongoing risk and the safety of victims and communities.

This campaign is not asking for every offender to remain in prison.

It is asking for a system capable of recognising the difference between someone who has genuinely changed and someone who continues to demonstrate a serious risk of causing harm.

Because one person’s opportunity for a second chance should never come at the cost of another person’s life.

We want to hear from survivors, families, victims and people who have successfully rebuilt their lives after offending.

We want to gather evidence.

We want to listen.

We want to challenge what isn’t working.

And we want to support what does.

Because justice should go Beyond the Sentence.

Protect victims. Reform justice. Break the cycle.

💜 Please read our updates for survivor stories and follow Beyond the Sentence UK as this campaign grows.