The UK Government has announced a major package of sentencing reforms aimed at strengthening community punishments, reducing reoffending, and making streets safer.
The new measures, revealed on Sunday, August 24, are part of the Government’s Plan for Change and give judges more powers to restrict offenders’ freedoms beyond conventional penalties.
Under the reforms, offenders could face bans on entering pubs, attending concerts, or going to sporting events as part of their sentence.
Judges will also be able to impose wider restrictions, including travel bans, driving limits, and confinement within certain geographic areas. The Government says these measures are designed to ensure that punishment not only addresses crime but also discourages future offences.
The overhaul will affect both offenders serving community-based sentences and those released from prison under probation supervision. In a significant policy shift, mandatory drug testing will be expanded. While testing was previously limited to offenders with a history of substance misuse, all offenders under supervision will now be subject to testing, regardless of their past.
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Those who breach these conditions could face recall to court or a return to prison, depending on their sentence.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the reforms highlight the Government’s commitment to keeping communities safe.
“Expanding the range of punishments available to judges is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer. When offenders break the law, they must face consequences. These new punishments should remind offenders that, under this Government, crime does not pay,” Mahmood said.
Previously, certain bans, such as football banning orders, applied only to offences committed in stadiums on match days. The new rules will allow judges to apply these restrictions for a wider range of offences, significantly increasing their deterrent effect.
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The reforms are also part of efforts to tackle the UK’s prison capacity challenges. Since July 2024, the Government has added 2,400 new prison places, with a £7 billion investment programme planned to deliver 14,000 additional places in the coming years. This is aimed at ensuring dangerous offenders are not left without secure custody due to overcrowding.
The Probation Service is also receiving record investment. Its budget is expected to rise by £700 million by 2028/29, from around £1.6 billion currently. Recruitment is speeding up, with probation officer numbers increasing by 7% over the past year and trainee intake rising 15%. The Government plans to recruit an additional 1,300 probation officers this year, on top of the 1,000 recruited in 2023.
This comes amid other UK initiatives targeting organised immigration crime, including measures against people smugglers such as travel bans, social media restrictions, and limits on phone use.
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