The UK Government has announced a sweeping set of sentencing reforms designed to toughen community punishments, reduce reoffending, and ensure safer streets.
The new measures, unveiled on Sunday, August 24, fall under the Government’s Plan for Change and give judges broader powers to restrict offenders’ freedoms beyond traditional penalties.
Under the reforms, offenders can be banned from entering pubs, attending concerts, or visiting sporting events as part of their punishment.
Judges will also be able to impose wider restrictions such as travel bans, driving limits, and confinement within specified geographic zones. The government says these measures are intended to reinforce the principle that punishment should not only address crime but also deter future offences.
The sentencing overhaul will apply both to criminals serving community-based sentences and to those released from prison under probation supervision. In a major policy shift, mandatory drug testing will also be expanded. While drug testing has previously been limited to offenders with a known history of substance misuse, the new framework will subject all offenders under supervision to testing, irrespective of their past.
Those who violate these conditions risk being recalled to court or returned to prison, depending on the terms of their sentence.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said the reforms demonstrate the Government’s resolve to keep communities safe.
“Widening the range of punishments available to judges is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer. When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished. These new punishments should remind offenders that, under this Government, crime does not pay,” Mahmood stated.
Previously, certain bans, such as football banning orders, were limited to offences committed within stadiums on match days. With the new legislation, judges will be able to apply such restrictions for a wide range of offences, significantly broadening their use as a deterrent.
The reforms come as part of wider efforts to address the UK’s prison capacity challenges. Since July 2024, the Government has added 2,400 new prison places, with a £7 billion investment programme to deliver 14,000 additional places over the coming years. This expansion is meant to ensure that dangerous offenders are not left without secure custody due to overcrowding.
The Probation Service is also receiving unprecedented levels of investment. Its budget is projected to rise by £700 million by 2028/29, up from around £1.6 billion annually at present. Recruitment efforts are accelerating, with the number of probation officers increasing by 7% in the past year and trainee intake rising 15%. The Government aims to recruit a further 1,300 probation officers this year, in addition to the 1,000 recruited in 2023.
This follows earlier reports that show the UK introducing new laws aimed at dismantling organised immigration crime networks-while targeting people smugglers with a range of measures, including travel bans, social media blackouts, and restrictions on phone use.