TENS of thousands of criminals will dodge jail under sweeping reforms to sentencing laws being put to MPs next month.
The Sentencing Bill will abolish most prison terms of less than 12 months except in “exceptional circumstances” as part of a plan to ease Britain’s overcrowded jails.
Daniel Dowling-Brooks poses in front of a white Bentley as he celebrates being released outside HM Prison Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, in 2024
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmoodalamy
The legislation will be introduced when MPs return in September, according to Government sources.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is said to be keen to act quickly to avoid another prison capacity crunch next summer.
Thousands of inmates were released after Labour won power last year in an emergency bid to free up space.
The Bill will include measures first recommended by former Tory Justice Secretary David Gauke in a review this spring.
Central to the reforms is a Texas-inspired “earned progression model” that allows inmates to secure early release for good behaviour.
Ms Mahmood visited the US state earlier this year to study the scheme.
Under the plan, prisoners serving fixed terms – including some violent offenders – could be freed after serving a third to half of their sentence, though terrorists and the most dangerous criminals will be excluded.
Community punishments are also set to be toughened up, with courts being able to impose fines, seize assets and ban criminals from driving, travelling or attending football matches.
Meanwhile, yobs will face more unpaid work – with councils told to use them for jobs like filling potholes and scrubbing graffiti.
Other measures expected to be in the Bill include longer suspended sentences of up to three years for low-risk offenders such as pregnant women or those with addiction problems, nw “restriction zones” for sexual and violent offenders after release, enforced by electronic tagging and the immediate deportation of most foreign criminals after conviction, instead of a third of the way through their term.
A government spokesperson said: “This government inherited a prisons system days away from collapse. That is why we are building 14,000 more prison places – with 2,500 already delivered – but we know we can’t build our way out of this crisis. Without further action, we will run out of prison places in months, courts would halt trials and the police cancel arrests.
“That is why as part of our plan for change, we are overhauling sentencing to make sure we always have the prison places needed to keep the country safe.”
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