Low-level criminals to clean up graffiti and plant trees instead of prison time

15 October 2023 , 15:35

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Prisons are close to bursting point - with fewer than 700 cells available across England and Wales (Image: PA)

Low-level criminals will be made to clean up graffiti and plant trees instead of going to prison in an attempt to tackle overcrowding in jails.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk will unveil Texas-style plans on Monday to reduce sentencing verdicts for non-violent offenders and promote probation and drug rehabilitation as alternatives to prison. He told the Sunday Telegraph that the reforms to send fewer low-level offenders to jail would end the “cycle of criminality” triggered by a “merry-go-round of short sentences”. But he vowed to be tougher on rapists by removing the option of freeing them halfway through their sentences.

Labour said the Government was running the country "like cowboys" and said they were coming up with policy "on the hoof" after 13 years of "reckless mismanagement".

Prisons are reaching bursting point, sparking concerns in recent days that a lack of space could see delays to sentencing in a desperate bid to free up space. Government figures published on October 6 showed that the prison population in England and Wales was 88,016 - only 651 short of the “usable operational capacity”.

Mr Chalk said rapists would serve their full terms behind bars, saying: "A 15-year sentence will mean 15 years in prison.” But he said those who commit lower level offences could repay their debt to society through community service.

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The Justice Secretary said: "We need to keep people safe – and that means moving away from short-term prison sentences that make hardened criminals rather than rehabilitated offenders." Admitting the prison system was under "intense pressure", he said short stints behind bars weren't enough to rehabilitate offenders - and instead took them away from family, home and work connections that kept them away from crime.

"No prison system should further criminalise offenders or trap criminals who might otherwise take the right path in a cycle of criminality through a merry-go-round of short sentences," he said. "This is the wrong use of our prison system and taxpayers' money. It doesn't deliver for victims and it doesn't cut crime. We need to fix this."

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Judges can make offers "repay their debt to society in communities – cleaning up neighbourhoods, scrubbing graffiti off walls, and even helping to plant new forests", he said.

But Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: " “The only thing Texan about this government is that they are running the country like cowboys. 13 years of reckless mismanagement of the criminal justice system has led to a crisis of epic proportions where they are now coming up with policy on the hoof, which does nothing to deal with the immediate overcrowding crisis.

"As of tomorrow, convicted criminals, including those who have committed sexual or violent crimes remain on our streets, instead of being in prison where they belong. With thousands of offences – including sexual offences – committed by people on bail every year, the Government is seeking to distract from the issue at hand, instead of giving answers on how they plan to keep our streets safe now."

Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “The Government has been ignoring this ticking time bomb of overcrowding for far too long, and without a proper solution prisons will continue to struggle in this crisis. Not only are prisons overcrowded, the Conservatives have failed to get to grips as court backlogs continue to rise. This is a serious safety breach and the Government must act now before it is too late.”

Lizzy Buchan