The United Kingdom government has unveiled a new set of sentencing reforms that will impose stricter community-based restrictions on convicted offenders.
As part of its “Plan for Change” initiative, individuals with criminal records may now be banned from attending public spaces such as pubs, concerts, and football matches.
The announcement, made on Sunday, highlights the government’s aim to strengthen community punishments in order to reduce reoffending and enhance public safety.
Under the proposed changes, judges will have the authority to enforce travel bans, driving restrictions, geographic “restriction zones” limiting an offender’s movement as well as social bans from events and venues regardless of the crime location.
These measures are not limited to crimes committed in public venues.
The law will soon be updated to allow such restrictions for any offense, broadening the scope of non-custodial sentences across the UK.
The government also announced plans to apply similar restrictions to individuals released from prison under probation supervision.
A new mandatory drug testing regime will be expanded to cover all probationers, including those without previous drug offenses.
Those who violate these terms risk being returned to court or imprisoned, depending on their original sentence.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood emphasized that the public expects firm action to prevent crime and protect communities.
“When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished. Those serving sentences in the community should also feel the consequences of their actions. These new punishments send a clear message, crime does not pay,” she stated.
The reforms are also intended to relieve pressure on the prison system.
Since July 2024, the government has opened more than 2,400 new prison spaces, with a commitment to creating 14,000 places in total through a £7 billion investment.
Additionally, the Probation Service is set to receive a major funding increase up to £700 million by 2028/29, compared to the current annual budget of £1.6 billion.
The workforce has already seen a 7% increase in probation officers over the past year, along with a 15% rise in new recruits.
These changes, the government insists, are designed to make communities safer while reducing reliance on short prison sentences that often fail to rehabilitate offenders.
