Sentencing Bill
“A bill will be
brought forward to ensure
tougher sentences for the
most serious offenders and increase the confidence
of victims.”
- This Government will make sure that the prison estate is used
to lock up dangerous criminals for longer, without further
criminalising redeemable offenders by trapping them in a
merry-go-round of reoffending.
- The most dangerous prisoners are guaranteed to be behind bars
for longer but we need to go further to keep the public safe. For
the worst murderers, the only proper penalty is life in prison
without the possibility of release by the Parole Board. We will
ensure that in these most serious cases life really will mean
life. Further, we will ensure those that commit rape and other
serious sexual offences will spend every day of their sentence
behind bars and face the consequences of their actions.
- However, delivering public protection and cutting crime is
not just about custody. There is persuasive evidence that
suspended and community sentences are, in certain circumstances,
more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing
reoffending and aiding rehabilitation. In these cases, short
prison sentences may even trap an offender in a revolving door of
reoffending, cutting them off from work, housing, and family and
further criminalising them with each spell inside.
- This Government will therefore grasp the nettle and make a
long-term decision that previous governments have ducked and
legislate for a presumption that sentences of less than 12 months
in prison should be suspended.
- Home Detention Curfew enables eligible, suitable offenders to
be released early from prison on strict licence conditions, so
they can begin reintegrating into the community sooner. We will
also therefore seek to extend eligibility to suitable risk-
assessed offenders, so they can get a headstart on reintegrating
with the community and breaking free from the cycle of
reoffending.
What does the
Bill do?
- The Sentencing Bill will:
