Domestic abuse survivors fear for their lives as hundreds of abusive ex-partners are freed early under prison overcrowding plan

Three women who have been notified that their abusive former partners will be released from jail early have spoken of their terror, saying they are afraid for their safety as the government pushes ahead with emergency measures to ease chronic overcrowding in prisons across England and Wales.

Approximately 700 prisoners are due to walk free on Thursday under the early release scheme, with a further 3,800 expected to be let out over the course of the next year. Before the releases take place, victims of crime have been sent letters by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) informing them that the people who abused them will be freed ahead of schedule.

One of those women is Claire Milne, whose ex-husband Robert Dales was convicted in March of coercive control and possession of offensive weapons, including samurai and ninja swords. The 36-year-old was handed a three-year prison sentence. Milne has now been told by the MoJ that he will be released early.

Describing the abuse she endured during their relationship, Milne said there had been physical violence, threats to kill her, and repeated punching of doors and walls. She explained that she spent the entire relationship "treading on eggshells", feeling as though she had to carefully rehearse what she would say to prevent his behaviour from escalating.

Milne said she has been left both frightened and furious. "I am scared that he will come after me. I don't want to die," she said. "I am not a silly woman – I know that I've been in a very high-risk domestic abuse relationship and I know what he's capable of because I lived it." She added that she was "incredibly angry" with the government, which she accused of failing to listen to victims of crime.

The letters sent to victims, extracts of which have been shared with the BBC, inform them that the offender in their case "has a revised release date". The correspondence acknowledges that the news "is likely to be unwelcome or distressing" and may bring "a renewed sense of uncertainty or concern". It attempts to offer reassurance by stating that detailed plans will be put in place to manage any risks associated with the offender's release into the community, and that the victim's safety, along with that of the wider public, is a central consideration. Victims are also told how the Probation Service will manage the release and how they can make representations about licence conditions if they wish to do so.

The releases form part of a controversial government strategy designed to free up space in a prison system that officials warn is dangerously close to breaking point. Under the new rules, inmates serving sentences of up to 19 months will be released after completing just one third of their jail term. Most of these prisoners would previously have expected to serve 40% of their sentence behind bars, with the remainder spent in the community on licence.

Prison staff have told the BBC that the lack of available cell space has reached crisis point, forcing them to place inmates in accommodation that is not suitable. They argue that there is no alternative but to release more prisoners because room is urgently required. Prisons across England and Wales are currently operating at 98% capacity, and the latest government figures show that just 1,134 spaces remain in the adult male prison estate – the lowest number of vacant beds recorded this year.

The MoJ has defended the policy, acknowledging that domestic abuse has a "profound and lasting" impact on victims but insisting the government remains committed to keeping the most dangerous offenders behind bars. The department said that people jailed for rape, child sex abuse offences and manslaughter will not be released under the scheme, and warned that going further than the current exemptions would risk the prison system collapsing entirely. An MoJ spokesperson also pointed to a £1bn investment in support services, including the placement of domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres.

Another woman affected is Karen Haynes, whose ex-husband Christopher Haynes, a former primary school teacher, was sentenced to 21 months in prison in April after admitting to coercive control against her. She has also been notified that he will be released early, with a release date set for November. Haynes said she was distraught when she learned the news and described the feeling as "a punch in the gut".

"We have fought so hard and we have had to use every inch of the system to get justice," she said. "I just find it devastating that somebody [who] can admit all of that can be released after only doing seven months of a custodial sentence." She explained that her ex-husband had always made Christmas extremely difficult and that she and her family had been longing for a festive season free from the fear that he might turn up. "We were constantly scared, we wanted one Christmas without him and without us being frightened he will turn up – but it looks like we won't even get that now," she said.

A third woman, who asked to be identified only as Alice to protect her identity, was also subjected to domestic abuse. Her perpetrator is due to be released later this month. She requested that neither she nor her ex-partner be named because she is frightened of what he might do once he is no longer behind bars, and she has described feeling as though "the rug has been pulled out from underneath me".

The accounts of the three women illustrate the difficult balance the government is attempting to strike between alleviating pressure on an overcrowded prison estate and protecting the victims of domestic abuse, many of whom say they have been left to live in fear as a result of the early release scheme.