In December 2021 my children’s father was released from prison for a non-violent crime into a government run facility. He had genuinely been reformed in prison and was looking forward to his future with his children. I'm passionate about prison reform and believe that everybody deserves a second chance at being able to change their lives to become a productive member of society.

However, devastatingly, my child’s father was murdered 8 months later in August 2022 in a place that was meant to protect him. He was murdered by another resident who had been released following their own previous attempted murder conviction.

Sonny was stabbed 14 times. He was just 36; leaving 3 young children, devastating a large extended family — whilst in an UNSECURED government run facility.

This petition is to protect the vulnerable residents that are being failed due to; former offenders that are high risk being placed with low risk offenders, with ZERO ON-SITE supervision, in normal flats run by day to day agencies and that alike.

The offender involved was found guilty and received a minimum 18years in jail this week for murdering my children’s father.

The murderer was allowed to live in a multi occupancy accommodation with little or no risk assessments and a lack of productive and personalised support.

The murderer was on license for stabbing someome he lived with previously in shared accommodation. During the trial the judge even remarked on the similarities between the cases.

**HE HAD DONE THIS BEFORE!**

Many of these accomadations are allocated throughout the local community and run by local authorities. Clients will work closely alongside probation who manage them in the community.

After release its vital that this is done with adequate housing so clients do not reoffend and have the correct support to rebuild their lives when they have come from disadvantaged places like homelessness, drugs, domestic violence etc.

BUT — across the country there is a huge lack of housing, forcing them to find alternative accommodation that IS NOT suitable with staffing levels that are qualified to deal with high risk clients.

Landlords and agencies are being used. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!

They are using inadequate housing and landlords are accepting. This is not the solution. There is no vetting. No personalised plans in place. No risk assessments. NO ON-SITE SUPERVISION!

Sonny was a non violent offender living with somebody who had done this before. THIS HAD NOT BEEN DISCLOSED!

His murderer had other offences for bladed articles yet could live so freely amongst residents who, unbeknown to them, were living with a violent murderer with a fetish for stabbing. The flats were not staffed and there were no check ins and follow ups.

Whether or not the lettings agency knew of these convictions begs the question; Why was there no precautionary plans measures put in place? Eg. CCTV

I would like to see REAL CHANGE in the government’s actions ASAP with more strict, careful and stringent planning and management in place. There should be continuous risk assessments with regular follow ups and updating (situations and circumstances can quickly change as did with Sonny).

A high risk violent offender should not be living amongst a non violent low risk criminal WITHOUT SUPERVISION!

They would not put a category A prisoner in with a category D prisoner in a setting that isn’t heavily secured, staffed and managed. I believe that doing this in the community, with no staffing and check ins should be outlawed with immediate effect.

I also propose its standard procedure in ANY shared accomadation that there's a first aid kit and fire extinguisher that there should be a STAB/BLEED KIT also. Many share kitchens with large and sharp objects being easily accessed.

Everybody deserves a chance to change but they need to be safe to do that.

If you have made it this far please sign. This should not have happened. A man who repeated his crime and succeeded. This time with devastating effects on 3 young children and extended family.

Please help stop knife crime