Offender in jail, queries. **non specified but offences against a child - please don't read if trigger for you**

[Lostbeyondwords]

Sorry I don't know where to post? I'm just feeling so distressed about this today. I had a letter from the victim contact service a couple of months ago (regarding my dd), I've called and emailed and had no reply - It's about receiving information about an offender.

I couldn't find the letter this morning with the lady's name to chase it up so I was calling around.... victim support weren't the right ones, the probation service said they can't help, speak to police. I found an email for NOMs (national offenders management), they've said Following your recent enquiry to the HMPPS Victim Helpline, I am writing to confirm that your concerns have been passed on to the prison Director/Governor. He/she will also take them into consideration, along with all other available information, when making future decisions about the release of this prisoner. As soon as I have a reply from the prison, we will contact you again

But I didn't express any concerns, I just said I'd like information about release and I don't know where to get it from?? I haven't actually been able to ask anyone anything. But I found my letter and managed to find the general number for victim contact, who said they'll pass it to the caseworker (who hasn't answered my email), and still I haven't been able to ask any questions. It's frustratingly annoying. Why so many bloody services with similar names to just confuse the crap out of people who actually need them?

I just want to know if the offender will be allowed release after one year (as said was possible at sentencing) or not, and who decides, how will we know? And if he is, when does that start? Is it a year from arrest/remand, or a year from actual sentencing? It's a difference of either him being out 4 months from now, while we're still in tatters or 7 months from now (if not the whole sentence). Thinking about it being 4 months I feel like I can't breathe. I've google but it's not working its magic on this topic.

@Lostbeyondwords I'm so sorry to hear your situation. I don't have any answers but I think you just need to pursue this person whose name you have and email address. Do you know where they are based? Could you call and ask to speak to them if they have no replied to the email within a couple of days?

Don't be fobbed off, stay calm and can you get some real life support, from friends, a charity, specialists in victim support etc?

I am sorry I don’t have any useful advice but just a thought. Could you contact your MP to look into it for you? My MP has contacted many different organisations for me over the years and just wonder if yours can be helpful as well.

Yes I would echo what above poster has said about contacting your MP - their office will know what service to contact or will be able to find out relatively quickly. Which area of the country are you in?

@Glassofcoldwater good idea. I did wonder that but my own mp is as crap as a chocolate teapot! But OP's mp might be useful. Good idea.

Ha! We have a fabulous MP whose right hand person is so efficient that she responds the same day re anything at all. Hopefully OP is as lucky.

Thank you for the replies - I never would have thought of asking an mp, it just seems like what should be easy information! I'll have to see when I could see mine next, hopefully the victim contact scheme will get back to me in the meantime...

It’s impossible to say based on the above info, but if the individual was on remand (in prison) before the trial then the judge will usually factor in the time they’ve served into the sentence and so it would count from when they were charged with the offence. If they were on bail from when they were charged then the time would start to run from when they were sentenced.

Are you a relative of the offender OP? I'm not clear but generally speaking the prison service won't give out release information for just anyone.

Speak to the persons caseworker if you know of them. But bare in mind they are very busy people.

It's hard, hope it works out for you.

You don’t have to make an appointment with your MP, you can send a letter or email and that’s usually a lot quicker

What’s the sentence? Take half off from that date

It should be the probation VLO at this point I think, although there will also be a police equivalent. They can give you dates for release and may also discuss release plans, licence conditions with you.

As for release, it will depend on the type of sentence he received and what he was sentenced for (certain offences will exclude him from early release 'on tag')

Angelf1sh yes that's what confuses me. On remand for 4months before sentencing and judge said taking into account remand and cooperation, the sentence is 2 years with possible release in 1. So I thought 2 years was already minus the remand but not having a date in writing is messing with my logic or something.

Clary I am but I'm against them, not for them. I was told we were entitled to the info but not who that would come from or when. I don't think the offender's caseworker themselves would be allowed to tell me.

insertimaginitiveusername I think you're right, that's who I'm waiting on contacting me. Thankfully we already got licence conditions agreed at sentencing. I doubt he's excluded from early release as I'm assuming that's what possible release in one year means, but I do need to find out if we get to give any statement that has any impact on the decision.

You serve half the sentence so if he got 2 yrs then he’d serve one and it would start from the first day he was in prison.

So if he was on remand for 4 months then it sounds like he’d be out 8 months after sentencing, with licensing conditions for the second year.

@Lostbeyondwords Good that you got licence conditions agreed in advance.

early release etc can depend on certain factors, such as the offence he was convicted of and the Act under which he was sentenced. However, I know sentence guidelines changed a few years ago and I'm not up to speed with current guidance. Your VLO will be able to explain this properly as they will know all the relevant details. Hopefully they will contact you soon

Angelf1sh the licencing conditions, surprisingly, are for 10 years following release. But your explanation of release dates, sadly, makes sense. Thank you.

Yes thank god, insertimaginativeusername wanted to make sure no contact would be assured in writing. Hmm yeah I'm not sure on that part, but I have my fingers crossed, thank you

A family member was asking in a weird way recently if I had any news (in general conversation. Not news about this, just "any news") and my first thought was that they knew something was happening and wondered if I knew, that's what got me realising I hadn't heard anything.

I'm guessing now because you haven't been specific (and I understand why) but you saying 10 years makes me believe that's a court order as opposed to licence conditions. These are two separate things.

Chase your VLO

Ahh you're right, checked my email about it, it is stated as an "order"... god I don't know what the licencing is then, so there may be additional restrictions...that's interesting.

I just hate the thought of someone reading by accident and being upset, and as lovely and supportive as everyone is if I do say, I'm just trying to focus more on the "facts" of what happens next than the emotion behind it, where possible anyway.

I was always updated by the Victim Support contact I had without ever having to chase them up etc if there was any new developments etc. Even if it was just that the offender was being released for therapy and eventually when they were being released we were given a copy of the restrictions again about where they were/weren’t allowed to be in the city etc. I’d keep trying the Victim Liaison officer if it were me.

Yes there will be additional conditions just for the supervision period after release from prison, which you are also entitled to give input to. Breaches of either are taken seriously so don't be afraid to report.

ETgo I'm glad they kept you so informed, it's obviously a system that can work. I seem to have been unlucky there.

Called again this morning and apparently the person who was supposed to allocate us to a VLO is off sick and has been for days so nobody was going to do anything and they didn't tell me when I called the. Other day. So the duty officer is going to ring me and see if they can get anything sorted today.

I've been trying to read up anything I can and it looks like prisoners apply for the early release in determinate sentences, so he could have done so already and I've no idea, maybe it's already even been decided.

I hate that this is so frustrating and I can't even rely on my family to tell me. And I forgot we were so far into January, so it's very possibly only 14weeks left till the bottom falls out of our world again.

Thank you for the help. It feels like I'm all over the place with this and it's never gone away. I got handwritten post this week with a return address being an offenders hostel, I thought he was out early or something it was so panicky - turned out to be something I'd ordered off ebay...

Still no closer-ish!
Found out who my VLO finally after chasing again as nobody called me back! But they're on leave until mid next week so the duty officer wouldn't really answer anything other than to confirm that the answers here were right, he'll be out in just over 3 months.

So now I just want to know where he's being released to, if it's been decided yet. I know generally people wouldn't know, but I do suspect there's a chance it will be my parents house, which we've been trying to get back into visiting over the last few months and which is within 5 mins walking distance. Surely they'd have to tell us that, I don't feel like I can bring it up with my parents. Next week can't come quick enough

They should tell you where. Can you not get a restraining order in place? May help a little. Caseworkers should be able to help, they deal with family. Even if they disagree with them. Maybe contact the prison he's at and ask for his caseworker to call you?

It's pants. Sometimes the system royally sucks. Even i don't know who and where, and I work in one. Sometimes I think the system is made difficult deliberately.

Thinking of you. This time must be horrific.