Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, has welcomed the news that the Government will be introducing ‘smarter sentencing’ to crack down on crime and protect the public.
Huge reforms will see both sexual and violent offenders serve much longer prison sentences as new measures are introduced to try and tackle the causes of criminal behaviour. The halfway release of offenders sentenced for crimes like rape and manslaughter will be ending, with offenders now having to serve at least two-thirds of their time in prison. Measures to improve rehabilitation will also be introduced, as will new methods of supervising offenders once they are released into the community. Whole Life Orders will be put in place for child killers, and those serving life will see an increased period that must be spent in prison before they can be considered for release by the parole board.
Community sentences will be made stricter and more focused at cutting reoffending. Vulnerable offenders who pose no risk to public safety will be able to access treatment programmes to recover from issues like drug or alcohol addiction, with the aim to help drive down reoffending rates by tackling the root of the issue.
For the first time, GPS monitoring will be used to track burglars and robbers upon their release, enabling probation officers to monitor their whereabouts. Measures will also be put in place to support ex-offenders looking to turn their lives around through work by reducing the time in which they have to disclose certain convictions for non-sensitive roles. However, if an individual reoffends during this rehabilitation period, they will have to disclose both their original and subsequent offences to employers.
Education in prisons will also be improved, with a Prisoner Education Service being developed that will focus on work-based training and skills.
Commenting, Richard said
“I am pleased that our justice system will see radical overhauls and improvements – these new measures are all designed to ensure that our communities are being kept safe and that those who commit crimes face the proper punishments.
“These new measures will help to keep us all safer and will tackle the causes of crime, ensuring that first-time and repeat offenders are given options to help them turn their lives around and live safely in their communities.
I will continue to work with my local police on the local crime that we see, especially rural crime, and I am pleased that these new measures are being brought in.”
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