Up to 43,000 criminals a year set to avoid jail under Labour's soft-justice plan, while killers and rapists to be free YEARS earlier

Daily Mail​

23-05-2025

Up to 43,000 criminals a year are set to dodge jail sentences and walk free from court with a 'slap on the wrist' under Labour's soft-justice masterplan.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood's measures will also see rapists and killers let out of jail years earlier, Ministry of Justice figures indicate.
The sentencing review was published yesterday and its recommendations have been accepted 'in principle' by Ms Mahmood.
Under the plan courts will no longer impose jail terms of less than 12 months, apart from in 'exceptional circumstances' such as when an offender fails to comply with a court order.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show that of 79,812 criminals handed an immediate custodial sentence last year, 43,322 received a sentence of less than 12 months, excluding those sentenced for breach of a court order.
Under Labour's measures, offenders who could now be handed a community punishment rather than jail each year include as many as 2,700 burglars, 11,000 shoplifters, 160 car thieves, 600 muggers and 80 robbers, based on 2024 sentencing figures.
It could also include up to 3,000 thugs who last year were jailed for assaulting an emergency services worker, 3,000 for common assault, 1,200 for causing actual bodily harm, 1,200 for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and 200 for wounding/inflicting GBH without intent.
Also dodging a jail term could be up to 2,500 criminals convicted of carrying a knife or blade – a move that could have huge implications for tackling knife crime.
Among sex offenders, 309 received jail terms of less than 12 months last year – plus 163 jailed for possessing indecent images of children – who may no longer qualify for prison under Labour's plan.
There were also 1,900 criminals handed a jail sentence of less than 12 months last year for various drugs offences who under the new measures are likely to avoid receive a custodial sentence.
The review, carried out for Labour by former Tory justice secretary David Gauke, also recommended sweeping reductions in the amount of jail time served by serious offenders providing they abide by 'good behaviour' rules.
An analysis conducted by the Daily Mail of MoJ sentencing data indicates compliant criminals convicted of attempted murder could get out five years earlier, on average.
They are currently eligible for automatic release after serving 75 per cent of their sentence – which on average is after 184.3 months.
Under the plans being adopted by Ms Mahmood they could instead be freed at the halfway point, which on average is 122.8 months – a 61.4 month reduction in prison time.
Killers convicted of manslaughter could, on average, serve two years less behind bars.
Currently they are eligible for release after serving 84.6 months on average.
They could instead be freed at the halfway point – after 56.5 months on average, which is 28.2 months less than currently – under the terms of the new scheme.
Rapists could be able to serve two and a half years less behind bars if they comply by the new good behaviour requirements.
Currently they are eligible for release after 96.5 months on average but this will fall to 64.3 months, a 32.2 month reduction.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick blamed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for going ahead with measures which amounted to 'a gift to hardened criminals who will now be free to cause carnage on our streets'.
He said: 'Offenders will be able to terrorise communities with impunity.
'The only people benefiting from this Labour Government are criminals and illegal migrants.
'Instead of offering huge sentence discounts to killers and rapists, Starmer should free up space in our prisons by deporting the 10,800 foreign offenders clogging up our jails.
'But he won't as he's wedded to broken human rights laws and previously campaigned to keep foreign criminals in the UK.'
Announcing in the Commons on Thursday that she was accepting the majority of Mr Gauke's report, Ms Mahmood admitted: 'I know its recommendations will not be welcomed by all.'
Victims of crime and senior police officers immediately voiced grave reservations about the proposals.
A spokesman for the Justice for Victims campaign group, co-founded by the parents of Sarah Everard who was raped and murdered by a serving Met Police officer in 2021, said: 'There isn't any excuse for letting the worst offenders get out of prison even earlier.'
They added: 'We hope MPs of all parties will ensure that nothing is done to weaken punishment of the worst offenders.'
Glenn Youens, whose four-year-old daughter Violet-Grace was killed by a stolen car in a hit-and-run, blasted the 'insulting' proposals.