In a move that has sparked fierce debate, the British government’s new sentencing reforms are set to see thousands of criminals, including killers, rapists and paedophiles, released from prison early. Under the “progression model” introduced by the Ministry of Justice, some 43,000 offenders will avoid jail altogether, while many convicts will be out after serving just a third of their sentence.
The reforms, which received Royal Assent on Thursday, have been criticised by opposition parties and victims’ groups as a “betrayal” that will put public safety at risk. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy MP warned that the changes will “let thousands of serious violent and sexual offenders, including rapists and paedophiles, out of prison and onto our streets.”
However, the government has defended the measures, arguing that urgent action was needed to address the overcrowding crisis in the prison system. Sentencing Minister Jake Richards stated that the reforms will “make sure prisons never run out of space again and dangerous offenders are kept off our streets, while putting victims first with much tougher punishments for offenders outside jail.”
Under the new system, criminals sentenced to four years or more will only be required to serve 50% of their sentence behind bars, down from the current two-thirds. This means that thousands of the most serious offenders, including rapists, stalkers, child groomers and attempted murderers, could qualify for early release.
The changes will apply retrospectively, meaning that thousands of inmates already in prison will also benefit from shorter sentences. Justice sources have warned that this could see some rap
