Abusive men will be treated like terrorists and sex offenders when they are released from prison.
Anyone sentenced to a year behind bars for coercive or controlling behaviour – even if it is suspended – will automatically face “more intensive management by police, probation and prison service” when they are let out.
The Ministry of Justice said this will bring it “on par with physical violence”.
Convicted offenders will be subject to Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), where police officers, probation staff and council officials are brought together to assess the threat they pose.
Measures are then put in place to prevent the criminals from offending again. Such arrangements are usually put in place for violent, sex and terrorist offenders when they are released from prison.
Prisons Minister Lord James Timpson said: “Domestic abuse creates fear and isolation, and I will do everything in my power to tackle it and ensure women and girls feel safe in their homes.
“This new approach will put controlling or coercive behaviour on a par with physical violence and will help prevent these despicable crimes.”
Offenders who are managed under MAPPA have a reoffending rate less than half of the national average, according to research by Anglia Ruskin University.
Police recorded more than 45,000 coercive control offences in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Safeguarding Minister Jess Philips said: “Domestic abuse devastates lives and affects more than two million people every year.
“For the first time, under this change to the law, coercive or controlling behaviour is being placed where it belongs – on a par with serious violent offending.
“This is an important step to recognise the harm caused by all forms of domestic abuse, ensure the most harmful offenders are managed in the right way, and ultimately keep victims safe.”
The Ministry of Justice confirmed the change puts controlling or coercive behaviour on a par with other domestic abuse offences including threats to kill, attempted strangulation and stalking.
The Daily Express first reported the proposals in October 2023. The Conservatives drew up the plans before the General Election and it was signed into law by Labour’s Lord Timpson.
The Government had been hoping to include reforms to the MAPPA process in the Domestic Abuse Bill in 2020. It would have also included violent men and stalkers. Home Office ministers are said to have blocked the move because they believed existing arrangements would suffice.
They instead backed wider reforms of the MAPPA process for domestic abusers.
Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, Farah Nazeer, said: “Coercive control is a key tool used by perpetrators of domestic abuse, as it isolates survivors and makes them dependent on an abuser.
“Women’s Aid welcomes plans to treat coercive and controlling behaviours seriously, automatically managing those convicted of this form of abuse under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement (MAPPA).
“It is essential that specialist domestic abuse services, with expertise on abusive behaviours and the impacts on victims and survivors, are routinely included in the MAPPA process if survivors are to be properly protected by this measure.”