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SafeLives' response to announcement to invest in prisons

11th August 2019

UK domestic abuse charity, SafeLives, respond to the announcement that the Prime Minister will invest £2.5 billion into prisons, creating additional prison places.

Suzanne Jacob, OBE, SafeLives Chief Executive said:

"We have long called for a change in the conversation from why doesn’t she leave to why doesn’t he stop, but we know very few DVA offences result in a prison sentence, so issues all the way through the Criminal Justice System need to be fixed. Victims and survivors of domestic abuse need to feel the police understand the realities of coercion and control and will prioritise action to address it (recognising there is often a strong link between serious violence in public and domestic abuse behind closed doors). Victims and survivors also need to know that the courts will protect them and their families.

"For perpetrators who do end up in prison, we want to see a robust link to a community-based response which stops people repeating the pattern of abuse with their current or future partners.

"The work done with high harm perpetrators through the Drive initiative shows that challenging perpetrators to change can keep going all the way through a sentence and act as a powerful stimulus to behaviour change on release.

"The solution to breaking the cycle is not just about prison. It’s also about supporting proven, safe programmes which challenge the behaviour of the perpetrator and making sure victims and survivors get the support they need if they take their case through the justice system."

For more information, or interviews, contact Natalie Mantle, Head of Communications, at natalie.mantle@safelives.org.uk or call 07394560466.

About SafeLives

We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good.

We work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse. We want what you would want for your best friend. We listen to survivors, putting their voices at the heart of our thinking. We look at the whole picture for each individual and family to get the right help at the right time to make families everywhere safe and well. And we challenge perpetrators to change, asking ‘why doesn’t he stop?’ rather than ‘why doesn’t she leave?’ This principle is applicable no matter what the sex of the actual victim and perpetrator(s) or the nature of their relationship.

Last year alone, nearly 11,000 professionals working on the frontline received our training. Over 65,000 adults at risk of serious harm or murder and more than 85,000 children received support through dedicated multi-agency support designed by us and delivered with partners. In the last three years, nearly 1,000 perpetrators have been challenged and supported to change by interventions we created with partners, and that's just the start.

Together we can end domestic abuse. Forever. For everyone.