Birmingham /Edgbaston(Sandeep Singh Chahal) MP Preet Kaur Gill has welcomed new Government powers that will severely restrict where some of the most dangerous offenders can go after they leave prison, putting greater freedom and control back in the hands of victims. Under new “restriction zones”, offenders on licence could be confined to a tightly defined area just a few miles wide. Unlike existing exclusion zones, which simply prevent an offender going to particular places, the new system can set clear boundaries around where an offender is allowed to go. Victims will have a say in how those boundaries are drawn, helping them go to work, visit family and move around their community with less fear of unexpectedly encountering their offender. Offenders subject to GPS monitoring can be tracked around the clock.
If they breach their restrictions, probation services will be able to identify this quickly, and they could be recalled to prison. The Government is also investing £700 million in probation and community services by 2028/29, alongside recruiting 1,300 new probation officers this year. Commenting, Preet Kaur Gill MP said:“Victims should not have to restrict their lives because of the person who harmed them. The restrictions should fall on the offender.“Too often it is survivors who change their route to work, avoid certain streets or stay away from family because they fear crossing paths with the person who caused them harm. That is the wrong way round.“
These new restriction zones put the limit on the offender, not the victim. They give people a say in how the boundaries are drawn, and GPS monitoring means a breach can be spotted quickly and acted on, including by sending someone back to prison.“As a former social worker, I have seen how fear follows people long after a sentence is served. Stronger licence conditions, better monitoring and a properly staffed probation service are how we give victims back control of their daily lives.“I welcome this change and will keep pressing for victims in Birmingham Edgbaston and across the country to be protected first.”The new restriction zone scheme is due to begin rolling out from October.