Guidance

Information about the Victim Contact Scheme

Published 21 February 2022

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-support-as-a-victim-of-crime/information-about-the-victim-contact-scheme

0.1 What is the Victim Contact Scheme?

If you are the victim of a serious sexual orviolent offence where an offender receives a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, you may want to know about the sentence someone receives.

One of our specially trained Victim Liaison Officers can:

  • keep in contact with you during the sentence
  • answer your questions
  • give you information about how the justice system works

We can also provide information to theparents, guardians or carers of child victims and where an offence has resulted in the death of the victim, information can be provided to their next of kin.

You are entitled to know certain information, and you are entitled to request additional conditions to an offender’s licence relating to you and/or your family.

This is completely up to you, and depends on how you feel. If you tell us you don’t want contact, we will not contact you again. If you change your mind, however, you can contact us at any time.

0.2 How do I opt-in?

One of our Victim Liaison Officers will firstly write to ask if you would like to receive contact.

Where possible, they will also offer to visit you to explain their role in more detail and answer any questions you may have.

They will treat you with respect and sensitivity at all times.

If you decide to opt-in, your Victim Liaison Officer will become your personal point of contact.

If you do not opt-in, the Victim Liaison Officer will not be able to keep you up-to-date about the offender’s sentence, or the offender’s release date.

0.3 Choose the information you want

Your Victim Liaison Officer will ask you how much information you want to receive.

Different levels of contact can include:

  • just knowing the month when an offender is going to be released
  • receiving an annual contact letter
  • being informed at key stages in the sentence, for example: a move from a closed prison to an open prison, or release temporarily on licence

0.4 Choose how to stay in touch

You Victim Liaison Officer will also ask you how you want to stay in contact.

Options include:

  • letter
  • phone
  • email

Let your Victim Liaison Officer know if your contact details change, or you decide you want to receive more, or less information and they will make the changes for you.

0.5 Release date / sentences

Most offenders receive a standard determinate sentence which means they will be released automatically halfway through their sentence. They serve the rest of their sentence ‘on licence’ in the community, with a number of strict conditions. If they break these conditions of their licence, they may be recalled to prison.

Other types of sentences have different release provisions which your Victim Liaison Officer will be able to explain.

You can request additional conditions, relating to you and/or your family, to be attached to the offender’s licence. Conditions may include an exclusion zone and/or a condition preventing them from contacting you.

Your Victim Liaison Officer can let you know about any such conditions that are agreed the offender should be subject to.

0.6 The parole process

For some offenders, the Parole Board will decide when they can be safely released back into the community.

In these cases, you will have the chance to:

  • write a personal statement, to explain the impact the offence had (or has) on your life for the Parole Board to consider at hearings;
  • ask the Parole Board to attach additional conditions, relating to you and/or your family, to the offender’s licence;
  • request a summary of the Parole Board’s decision, if they are considering the offender’s release from custody.

Your Victim Liaison Officer can guide and assist you throughout this process.

If you have received contact from someone in prison or are worried about their release, you can contact HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS):

0.7 Support from other organisations

If you have been affected by domestic abuse, the National Domestic Violence helpline can provide support:

If you feel harassed or intimidated by the behaviour of another person, you can contact the National Stalking Helpline for support and information:

If you would like to discuss any concerns, worries, or troubles you may have, you can contact Samaritans:

  • Telephone: 116 123
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