Northern Ireland has its own way of keeping victims informed and supported as a case moves through the courts, and afterwards too if there’s a prison sentence.
PBNI’s Victim Information Schemes. The Probation Board for Northern Ireland runs three separate schemes, depending on what happened with the offender: the Probation Victim Information Scheme, for cases where the offender gets a probation-supervised sentence; the Prisoner Release Victim Information Scheme (PRVIS), for prison sentences of six months or more, keeping victims updated on custody and release decisions; and a separate scheme for cases involving offenders with serious mental health issues who receive hospital or treatment orders. You can register online, by phone, or by post – PBNI’s Victim Information Unit can be reached on 0300 123 3269.
Victim Support NI. An independent charity offering practical and emotional support to anyone affected by crime, whether or not it’s been reported to the police.
Commissioner for Victims of Crime. An independent office that champions victims’ rights and interests across Northern Ireland more broadly, separate from the individual case-by-case work of the schemes above.
England & Wales has a different system – the statutory Victims’ Code and the Probation Service’s Victim Contact Scheme. Scotland uses COPFS’s Victim Information and Advice service and the Victim Notification Scheme. See our How are the victims of crime dealt with? page, or Scotland’s Victims of Crime page, for those systems.