Latest news with #sentencingreview
Sky News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
'Short-sighted' to exclude inmates on indefinite sentences from early release scheme, say campaigners
Why you can trust Sky News Campaigners have hit out at the "short-sighted" decision not to include prisoners on indefinite sentences in the plans to reduce the prison population. On Thursday, the government published its long-awaited sentencing review, led by former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke, who recommended that some offenders who behave well in jail only serve a third of their term in custody before being released. Not included in the scheme are prisoners serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) - a type of open-ended jail term that was abolished more than a decade ago and which critics have denounced as inhumane. Andrew Morris was given an IPP sentence in 2007 for false imprisonment and threats to kill, for which he was given a tariff - the minimum amount he must serve in jail before being considered for release - of two years. Owing to the indefinite nature of the sentence, he was released 12 and a half years later. He told Sky News that many offenders on IPP are still languishing in jail despite serving years over their minimum term. 12:16 He said he found it "mind boggling" that IPP prisoners were not included in the Gauke review and in the early release scheme, which the government has admitted could result in sex offenders and domestic abusers serving sentences of under four years being eligible for early release. "I think it's incredibly short-sighted and it's really frustrating that everybody is talking about the need to free up space in prisons and there is an answer that is glaringly obvious to everybody - but for reasons no one is clear about, no one wants to take that option," he said. "Even if you take out the most serious offenders on IPP who potentially have mental health issues that make them unsafe to be released, there is still the potential for thousands of places to be freed up." What are IPP sentences? IPP sentences were a type of sentence the courts could impose from 2005 until they were abolished in 2012. They were intended for serious violent and sexual offenders who posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public but whose crimes did not warrant a life term. 3:21 Although the government's stated aim was public protection, concerns quickly grew that IPP sentences were being applied too broadly and catching more minor offenders, who often ended up serving years beyond their initial term. Anyone jailed on an IPP can only be released once they have served their minimum term or tariff and after the parole board is satisfied they no longer pose a risk to the public. Those who are released are done so on licence, where they are subject to strict conditions. If they breach those conditions, they can be recalled to prison at any time - even if they did not commit a further offence. The coalition government scrapped the sentence in 2012, but the change was not applied retrospectively, leaving around 2,544 prisoners behind bars. Of those, 1,012 have never been released. Successive governments have rejected calls from MPs and the House of Lords for IPP prisoners to be resentenced, arguing that such a process would risk releasing offenders who still pose a threat to the public. Instead, the focus of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) under the Conservatives and now Labour has been to reduce the IPP prison population through providing access to rehabilitative courses and programmes. However, families have long complained about the availability and access to such courses. 'Inhumane and unjust' Campaigners argue that IPP prisoners - who are reportedly more than two-and-a-half times more likely to self-harm than the general prison population - continue to be penalised by a sentence that was abolished more than a decade ago. Ungripp, the United Group for Reform of IPP, said it was "extremely disappointed that yet again people on IPP sentences are being further penalised by the government by excluding them from the current changes to recall. "It's inhumane and unjust, morally wrong and a waste of taxpayers' money. "The government could help fix the prison crisis by fixing the IPP altogether or at the very least, release those 1,075 people who've been recalled but committed no further crime, which would empty one of the largest prisons entirely." The government was moved to carry out a review of sentencing amid an overcrowding crisis in prisons in England and Wales - where the male prison population is at 99% capacity and set to run out of room in November. It is understood that the IPP sentence was not included in the review because it is no longer used. The review has made a series of recommendations with the aim of reducing the prison population by 9,800 people by 2028, including chemical castration for the worst sex offenders to reduce reoffending. An MoJ spokesperson said: "It is right that IPP sentences were abolished. IPP prisoners are considered for release by the independent parole board every two years and those who are deemed safe will be released. "The government is supporting IPP prisoners achieve their release but this must be done in a way that does not put the public at risk."
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour set to free killers and rapists earlier under new soft-justice masterplan branded 'recipe for a crimewave' by the Tories
Labour is set to free killers and rapists from jail earlier under a new soft-justice masterplan. The Government's sentencing review was last night savaged by victims and senior police officers, while the Tories dubbed it a 'recipe for a crimewave'. The plan contains a raft of measures to slash sentences served by prisoners – from shoplifters to killers – by up to a third. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who commissioned the review to free up space in overcrowded prisons, is poised to become the weakest law and order minister in history by allowing thousands more criminals a year to dodge jail completely. Most of the plan has already been adopted in principle by Labour. Tory frontbencher Robert Jenrick blasted the measures as 'a get-out-of-jail-free card for dangerous criminals'. 'It's a recipe for a crime wave,' the Shadow Justice Secretary told MPs in the Commons. 'The Labour Party are clearly ideologically opposed to prison. 'The radical, terrible changes today may be cloaked in necessity, but the root of them is their ideology. And it's the public who will pay the price for their weakness.' The review said criminals convicted of serious violence or sex offences could win their freedom after serving half their jail term, rather than at the current three-quarters point – a one-third reduction. This lower automatic release date would apply to offenders convicted of 'rape, manslaughter, soliciting murder, attempted murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm', the document said, providing they behaved well in jail. Most other offenders would be released after serving just a third of their sentence if they demonstrated good behaviour. Short jail sentences of less than 12 months – typically imposed on shoplifters, burglars and other thieves – will be largely scrapped and imposed only in 'exceptional circumstances'. Even jail terms for murder should be reviewed, said the review, drawn up for Labour by former Tory Cabinet minister David Gauke. It made a series of recommendations to improve community sentences, such as wider electronic tagging, to create what Ms Mahmood described as a 'prison outside prison'. Mr Gauke estimated his plan would free up 9,800 jail spaces by 2028. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp warned it would 'unleash a tsunami of crime, as criminals will know they can steal with no effective punishment'. 'Many criminals will take the opportunity to commit more crime when they are let out so early,' he said. 'Releasing rapists and violent offenders from prison after just half their sentence will put women at risk by allowing these vile criminals onto the streets. This document is a criminals' charter. It rewards criminals, disregards victims and will lead to higher crime.' Victims' groups and bereaved relatives expressed their dismay, with several saying they asked Mr Gauke for the chance to contribute their views – but were spurned. 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: 'We were deeply disappointed that Mr Gauke decided he didn't have time to meet with our group and failed to answer basic questions about how the views of victims and their families were being taken into account. 'There isn't any excuse for letting the worst offenders get out of prison even earlier. 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. Mr Youens, 38, said he and wife Becky, 37, asked to speak to Mr Gauke but were rebuffed, adding: 'It doesn't feel like they've consulted a single victim. 'If the prisons are full, they should put four in a cell. 'Prisons should not be comfortable. Nobody wants to go to prison in Thailand because they know how horrendous the conditions are. That's how it should be.' Even the normally cautious National Police Chiefs Council sounded concerns. A spokesman said: 'Trust and confidence in the criminal justice system must not be lost through these reforms. 'It is crucial for public safety that high-risk offenders, including those convicted of violent or sexual offences, are exempt from early prison release.' It is understood that top officers have written to Ms Mahmood, expressing grave doubts about the plans. In the Commons, Ms Mahmood told Mr Jenrick he had been 'part of a government that did not build the prison places that this country needs'. The review's recommendations are expected to be included in a forthcoming sentencing Bill.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Mahmood warns of stark choices for prison reform to ensure ‘worthy' system
The Justice Secretary warned of having to make 'stark choices' in relation to prison reform to ensure a criminal justice system 'worthy of the name', it has been reported. Plans for long-term reform are expected to be introduced following the independent sentencing review, which is due to be published on Thursday – which could include a scheme through which private companies employ offenders but reduce their wages and give the money to victims, according to The Times. The review, led by former justice secretary David Gauke, is exploring options to hand offenders tougher punishments outside prison, while making sure there is space to jail the most dangerous criminals. Shabana Mahmood told The Times: 'This issue and this crisis and what it means for people all over the country, it's far above party politics. 'I appreciate these are very, very difficult decisions. I find making these decisions difficult for myself. 'I've got to consider the whole of the system, how to do right by everybody and we're facing some very, very stark choices. 'It's a horrible reality to be in. It shows the scale of the terrible inheritance that the Conservative Party left behind. 'But this is where we have a duty, we have to act in the nation's best interest, we have to make sure that there is a criminal justice system worthy of the name. We have to make sure we don't run out of prison places.' Changes could include allowing well-behaved prisoners to be released after serving only a third of their sentences and ending jail terms for offenders sentenced to less than one year in prison, according to The Times. Such offenders will reportedly serve community sentences, which could involve filling potholes and clearing fly-tipping areas. The paper also said the Government is talking to private companies about a scheme that would employ criminals but reduce their wages and donate the money to victims. Latest Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures published on Monday show the number of inmates in jails has risen by 2,485 since December 30. It comes as the Government announced further emergency plans to release some criminals on recall earlier to free up around 1,400 prison places. It is hoped the move, which sparked a backlash over concerns for victims and public safety, will 'buy time' before sentencing reforms are expected to take effect next spring. Legislation to bring in the changes is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks. The MoJ's permanent secretary, Amy Rees, warned last week that, based on the current trajectory, the prison population rises by 3,000 each year and is now expected to hit zero capacity for male prisons by November this year. Ms Mahmood also announced that three new prisons will be built, starting this year, as part of a 'record prison expansion', after securing a capital investment of £4.7 billion. Ministers have promised to find a total of 14,000 cell spaces in jails by 2031.
