TENS of thousands of criminals will dodge jail under sweeping reforms to sentencing laws being put to MPs next month.
The Sentencing Bill aims to alleviate overcrowded jails in Britain by abolishing most prison terms of less than 12 months, except in “exceptional circumstances.”
The legislation will be introduced when MPs return in September, according to Government sources.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is said to be keen to act quickly to avoid another prison capacity crunch next summer.
Thousands of inmates were released after Labour won power last year in an emergency bid to free up space.
The Bill will include measures first recommended by former Tory Justice Secretary David Gauke in a review this spring.
Central to the reforms is a Texas-inspired “earned progression model” that allows inmates to secure early release for good behaviour.
Ms Mahmood visited the US state earlier this year to study the scheme.
Under this plan, prisoners on fixed terms, including some violent offenders, could be released after serving between one-third and half of their sentence. However, terrorists and the most dangerous criminals will not be eligible.
Community punishments are set to become stricter, allowing courts to impose fines, seize assets, and ban offenders from driving, traveling, or attending football matches.
Meanwhile, yobs will face more unpaid work – with councils told to use them for jobs like filling potholes and scrubbing graffiti.
The Bill is also expected to introduce measures like longer suspended sentences of up to three years for low-risk offenders, such as pregnant women or those with addiction issues. It will include new “restriction zones” for sexual and violent offenders post-release, enforced by electronic tagging, and mandate the immediate deportation of most foreign criminals after conviction.
A government spokesperson explained: “We inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse, which is why we are building 14,000 more prison places with 2,500 already in place. However, we know building alone won’t resolve the crisis. Without further action, we could run out of prison space within months, leading to halted trials and canceled arrests.”
“This is why part of our reform plan involves overhauling sentencing to ensure we have the necessary prison spaces to maintain national safety.”
