Overview of the Act
- The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 contains measures in relation to:
- Victims of criminal conduct
- Victims of major incidents
- The Infected Blood compensation body
- Reforms to the parole system
- Imprisonment for Public Protection licence termination and progression.
- Restrictions on marriage for prisoners who are imprisoned under whole life orders.
- Part 1 of the Act contains measures to improve the end-to-end support for victims of crime so that they get the support needed to cope and build resilience to move forward with daily life and feel able to engage and remain engaged in the criminal justice system. The measures send a clear signal about what victims can and should expect from the criminal justice system, strengthen transparency and oversight of criminal justice agencies and improve how victim support services deliver for victims.
- Part 2 of the Act establishes the Independent Public Advocate to support victims of major incidents. This includes a standing advocate and the ability to appoint additional advocates when a major incident occurs to provide victims with support and guidance following a significant major incident where large scale loss of life or harm has occurred.
- Part 3 of the Act establishes the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to pay compensation to victims of the infected blood scandal.
- Part 4 of the Act implements the reforms set out in the Government’s Root and Branch Review of the Parole System to strengthen the parole system by codifying the release test and creating a power to allow the Secretary of State to refer decisions to release the most serious offenders to the High Court. It also contains measures relating to prisoners serving imprisonment for public protection sentences and measures that prohibit prisoners who are imprisoned under whole life orders from being able to marry or forming a civil partnership whilst in prison.
