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A former BBC local radio presenter convicted of stalking Jeremy Vine has been recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions. Alex Belfield, from Nottingham, was jailed for five and a half years in September 2022 after being found guilty of four stalking charges against broadcasters, including Channel 5 host and BBC Radio 2 DJ […]
Most offenders in England and Wales who would have faced up to a year in jail are likely to receive no more than a suspended sentence since Monday 23rd March under one of the most significant changes to jail terms in decades. Under the reform, courts must stop handing out such short prison terms other […]
Domestic abusers will be placed under real-time surveillance for the first time, with tags that alert police when they approach their victims as part of a major expansion of tagging. Lord Timpson, the prisons minister, has announced £100 million to ensure almost all offenders would be tagged on leaving prison from September. Billed as the “biggest […]
The government has reversed all the major changes made to the Parole System in December 2025 after lawyers threatened legal action. Rule 19 of the Parole Board Rules: A Summary of Recent Changes Since December 2025, a series of rapid and controversial changes to Rule 19 of the Parole Board Rules significantly affected the rights […]
Changes to Fixed Term Recalls under the Sentencing Act The Sentencing Act, which received Royal Assent at the end of January, abolishes 14- and 28-day Fixed Term Recalls (FTRs) and replaces them with a single FTR period of 56 days. Current position At present, anyone recalled who is serving a sentence of less than four […]
The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 introduced a Secretary of State power to refer certain release decisions of the Parole Board to the High Court. Following a referral, the High Court will then decide whether the prisoner can be released or must stay in prison for the protection of the public. This power came into […]
Statutory Instrument 1231/2025 made major changes to the Parole System with effect from 16th December 2025 – one of which was a new power of the Secretary of State for Justice to refer certain parole board release decisions to the High Court for review and Guidance as to the exercise of that power has now […]
Statutory Instrument 1231/2025 made major changes to the Parole System with effect from 16th December 2025 – one of which was a new power of the Secretary of State for Justice to refer certain parole board release decisions to the High Court for review and Guidance as to the exercise of that power has now […]
Record numbers of offenders are being recalled to prison in England and Wales with union officials claiming that some are deliberately breaking the terms of their probation in order to deal drugs in prison. Prison sources said that after the implementation of early release schemes, as many as 5,000 men were recalled in December alone – more than […]
A prisoner was found dead in his cell on the morning he was due to stand trial. Giles Harvey, 51, died at HMP Dovegate in October 2023 due to suicide by hanging. A report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman states that Harvey was sentenced back in 2008 to Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) with […]
The Sentencing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 22nd January 2026 – click the link below for a copy of the Act and a detailed Summary of its provisions. Sentencing Act 2026 and Detailed Summary Related Whoops! You need enhanced membership to access this page – login below or join now https://prisons.org.uk/register/enhanced