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Victims of the most serious sexual and violent crimes could soon benefit from new “restriction zones” designed to confine offenders to specific areas, preventing unwanted contact and giving survivors greater freedom to move without fear.
The Ministry of Justice announced the measure on 8 August as part of its Plan for Change, which aims to improve victim protection and make communities safer. Unlike existing “exclusion zones”, which prevent offenders from entering certain locations, restriction zones will require offenders to remain within a designated area, with electronic monitoring to enforce compliance.
Breaching these boundaries could lead to prison recall. Probation officers will work with victims to create restriction zones tailored to their needs, following a detailed risk assessment.
Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Minister Alex Davies-Jones said:
“Through our Plan for Change, we’re putting victims first.
This move will strengthen safeguards for victims. I’ve heard firsthand how this innovative approach will give them the peace of mind they deserve and rebuild their lives without fear.”
The reform has been welcomed by Diana Parkes CBE and Hetti Barkworth-Nanton CBE, co-founders of the Joanna Simpson Foundation, who campaigned for the change:
“For far too long, victims have had to reshape their lives to avoid their offenders. Exclusion zones have made victims feel trapped as though they are the ones serving a sentence, with the victim carrying the weight of someone else’s crime.
This announcement from the Ministry of Justice is the much-needed change that has long been called for and is a powerful step forward… By placing restrictions on offenders instead, this will now give survivors the freedom they deserve to live, move and heal without fear.”
The introduction of restriction zones forms part of wider reforms to the probation system, including:
Expanding electronic tagging for domestic abuse perpetrators.
Requiring judges to flag domestic abuse offences at sentencing to aid offender management.
Growing the network of Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts.
Providing victims of rape and other sexual offences with free copies of judges’ sentencing remarks.
These changes build on recent measures to tackle violence against women and girls, such as the rollout of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, new stalking protections, and funding boosts for specialist victim support services.
The government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
