Expansion of the Victim Contact Scheme Pilot Evaluation

Following a complaint where a victim of harassment was not notified of the offender's release, Ministers want to expand the current Victim Contact Scheme (VCS) to victims of stalking and harassment including where the length of sentence was less than 12 months. The expansion is being piloted within Hampshire, Thames Valley, Northumbria, and the whole of Kent, Surrey and Sussex for a period of six months. Although an expansion of the current scheme, the process will be different due to the shorter sentence length from these cases.

Evidence is needed to understand what processes are most effective for national roll-out of the scheme, picking up any unanticipated consequences. This evaluation will provide a clear and evidenced set of recommendations and future guidance to ensure an evidence-based approach to the implementation and national roll-out of the expanded Victim Contact Scheme for January 2023.