Tougher sentences, an end to early release and a major
review of the management of convicted terrorists are among
a raft of measures to strengthen the UK’s response to
terrorism, the government has announced today (Tuesday 21
January).
Confirmed by Home Secretary and
Justice Secretary QC,
the new Counter-Terrorism Bill, to be introduced in the
first 100 days of this government, will force dangerous
terrorist offenders who receive extended determinate
sentences to serve the whole time behind bars and ensure
those convicted of serious offences such as preparing acts
of terrorism or directing a terrorist organisation spend a
mandatory minimum of 14 years in prison.
It will also overhaul the terrorist licensing regime,
doubling the number of specialist counter-terrorism
probation officers and introducing measures such as
polygraph testing. It will increase the number of places
available in probation hostels so that authorities can keep
closer tabs on terrorists in the weeks after they are
released from prison.
The government will also review support available to
victims of terrorism, including families and loved ones. We
will immediately invest £500,000 to increase the support
provided by the Victims of Terrorism Unit, to ensure more
victims get the support and advice they need, faster.
Home Secretary , said:
The senseless terror attack at Fishmongers’ Hall in
November confronted us with some hard truths about how we
deal with terrorist offenders, which is why we
immediately announced a review into sentencing and
licence conditions, to do whatever is necessary to stop
these sickening attacks from taking place.
Today we are delivering on those promises, giving police
and probation officers the resources they need to
investigate and track offenders, introducing tougher
sentences, and launching major reviews into how offenders
are managed after they are released.
We will also review the support available for victims and
their families to make sure they receive the help they
need.
The government will also launch a sweeping independent
review of the way different agencies, including police, the
probation service, and the security services investigate,
monitor and manage terrorist offenders – called Multi
Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). This will be
led by Jonathan Hall QC, the Independent Reviewer of
Terrorism Legislation.
Funding for counter-terrorism policing will grow to £906
million in 2020 to 2021, a £90 million year-on-year
increase. The money will support and maintain the record
high number of ongoing counter-terrorism policing
investigations and ensure a swift and effective response to
terrorist incidents across the country, no matter where
they take place.
Justice Secretary, QC,
said:
Terrorists pose a great risk to our society and our way
of life, which is why we must bring them to justice and
keep the public safe.
Coupled with our strong measures to manage terrorists
behind bars, this Counter-Terrorism Bill toughens
restrictions on offenders’ communications, increases the
number of specialist staff managing them and will ensure
they are monitored effectively.
Delivering on the government’s commitments following the
Fishmongers’ Hall attack, the announcement represents a
major shift in the UK’s approach to the sentencing and
management of terrorist offenders by closing gaps in the
investigation and monitoring of convicted terrorists.
Alongside the bill, the government is making a major
investment in counter-terrorism resources in prisons and
probation. The package of measures being announced include:
- doubling the number of counter-terrorism specialist
probation staff - these specially trained staff will
deliver a set of new, intensive national standards for
managing terrorists on licence - these new standards will
mean terrorists are subjected to closer monitoring and
reporting requirements
- an increase in the number of specialist psychologists
and specially trained imams, who play a vital role in
assessing risk and challenging the beliefs of radicalised
offenders
- an increase in the resources dedicated to training
front-line prison and probation staff, who are the first
line of defence in identifying and challenging extremism in
prisons and probation
