Consultation on Measures to Improve Victim Engagement in the Parole Process | Department of Justice
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Open consultation
Consultation on Measures to Improve Victim Engagement in the Parole Process
Topics:
Justice and the law
Policing and community safety
Prisons
Consultation closes
22 May 2026, 11.59 pm
Summary
As Minister of Justice, my priority is to work collaboratively with partners across government, policing, and the wider justice system to build a safer and fairer society for all. I am deeply committed to ensuring that victims of crime are treated with dignity, compassion and respect throughout their journey in the criminal justice system.
Whilst significant progress has been made in recent years to improve support for victims, we must continue to listen, learn and act on what matters to those directly impacted by crime.
Documents
Consultation document
Adobe PDF (273 KB)
Equality screening document
Adobe PDF (229 KB)
Rural needs impact document
Adobe PDF (209 KB)
Help viewing documents
Consultation description
The Department of Justice wants to improve the experience of victims of crime throughout all stages of the criminal justice process.  We recognise that this process does not end when an offender is sentenced to imprisonment. It includes the stage at which an offender is eligible for release on licence and the Parole Commissioners have to decide if the offender is safe to be released into the community.
Knowing that an offender may be released into the community can be a worrying and potentially re-traumatising experience for victims.  This is especially the case where offenders have been through the parole review process a number of times before they are allowed to be released (or if they have been released and subsequently had their Licence revoked and been recalled back to prison).  In these circumstances victims may feel unable to move forward whilst this cycle of reviews is ongoing.
Ways to respond
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Public Protection Branch
Department of Justice
Castle Buildings
Stormont Estate
Belfast
BT4 3SJ
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