Criminals to face being banned from pubs under new sentencing powers
Criminals could be banned from pubs, concerts and sports grounds under plans to give judges powers to pass tougher community sentences.
Offenders could face limits on driving, travel bans and restriction zones confining them to specific areas under the proposals, which would apply in England and Wales.
Those who break the conditions could face being dragged back in front of a judge and given a tougher punishment.
Prisoners
Similar restrictions could also apply to prisoners let out on licence, while mandatory drug testing will also be expanded to cover all those released.
The crisis in prison places has led the UK Government to explore alternatives to custody.
Courts already have the power to impose conditions on certain sentences, such as banning football hooligans from grounds, but the new measures would allow them to be imposed for any offence.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished.
“Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there too.
“These new punishments should remind all offenders that, under this Government, crime does not pay.
“Rightly, the public expect the Government to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Legislation
The Government will bring forward legislation for the new powers, which will be monitored by probation officers.
Courts will be able to hand out the conditions to criminals given community or suspended sentences, while probation officers will be able to set them as part of the terms for offenders on licence.
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Given that ‘we’ are talking about community or suspended sentences it sounds a bit draconian to me.
This is intended to replace prison time because we’ve run out of prison space because the so-called party of law and order prioritised cuts to public services and smaller government over law and order. So it should probably include curfew.
On reflection I am inclined to agree to partial curfews so long as they are partial curfews so that the criminal can run essential errands like food shopping trips.
I suppose it depends on your definition of a criminal. Will these sorts of community punishments apply to elderly people protesting against famine and genocide?
Monitoring these punishments will also depend on extensive use of face recognition systems. Normally that kind of thing wouldn’t bother me too much but if a government in our not too distant future is more right wing, more authoritarian then it’s all starting to look like dangerous territory to me.
Will the offenders be wearing GPS-warning ankle bracelets?
A person convicted of alcohol related offending can already be fitted with an alcohol tag. A person convicted of football offences can already be banned from sports grounds or travel to them. A person convicted of domestic violence can already be issued with a restraining order. This proposal by Shabana Mahmood strays into dangerous territory. It is unclear what is to be achieved. It is of course a tool used in oppressive regimes. In Russia a person convicted of defaming the armed services is not allowed to be a member of a political party. Spain tried to ban Catalan activists convicted… Read more »
It’ll take a decade to fix prisons. It’s not just about building more capacity, it’s about replacing or upgrading existing Victorian buildings. The answer might be super prisons in cheaper locations funded by selling or redeveloping property in prime locations like Cardiff city centre.
In the meantime, prison serves three functions: to punish, to reform and to keep dangerous people off the street. If prison places are short, the third must take priority which means finding alternatives ways to do the first two in the community.
Agree with the ‘thrust’ of your arguments.