Found: simplify the release process and reduce opportunities for error, through the implementation of the Sentencing Act

Found: We have just passed the Sentencing Act; that will lead to significant transformational changes.

Found: Title S.I. 2026/217 The Sentencing Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional Provision) Regulations

Found: The second is that measures in the recent Sentencing Act such as a presumption to suspend short prison

Found: determinate sentences to 40%; and commissioning the Independent Sentencing Review and enacting the Sentencing Act

Found: also current challenges for neighbourhood policing, including the operational impact of the new Sentencing Act

Found: 40%; and commissioning the Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) and subsequently enacting the Sentencing Act

Found: simplify the release process and reduce opportunities for error, through the implementation of the Sentencing Act

Found: This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures. 3.

Found: This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures. 3.

Found: This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures. 3.

Found: This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures. 3.

Found: This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures. 3.

Found: This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures. 3.

Found: 40%; and commissioning the Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) and subsequently enacting the Sentencing Act

Found: submitted Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act 2020 and Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act

Found: session is devoted exclusively to the Probation Service; given the changes coming under the Sentencing Act

Found: 40%; and commissioning the Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) and subsequently enacting the Sentencing Act

Found: decisive steps to stabilise the system, including through the Independent Sentencing Review and the Sentencing Act

Found: am confident that the reforms this Government is progressing, including implementation of the Sentencing Act

Found: session is devoted exclusively to the Probation Service; given the changes coming under the Sentencing Act

Found: decisive steps to stabilise the system, including through the Independent Sentencing Review and the Sentencing Act

Found: am confident that the reforms this Government is progressing, including implementation of the Sentencing Act

Found: Furthermore, until the court finding of domestic abuse – as introduced by the Sentencing Act 2026

Found: insufficient, they may commit the defendant to the Crown Court for sentence under s.14 of the Sentencing Act

Found: Now the Sentencing Act has passed there is still a lot of detailed work to do to implement the reforms

Found: Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2026 S.I. 2026/86 The Sentencing Act

Found: Letter from the Minister for Border Security and Asylum relating to the Sentencing Act FNO provisions

Found: Through the Sentencing Act 2026, we will implement a new, comprehensive release framework which will

Found: Reforms introduced through the Sentencing Act 2026, including a presumption to suspend short custodial

Found: Court, 13 January 22 Letter from Mike Freer MP to Sir Robert Neill MP, dated 20 March 2023: Sentencing Act

Found: Given that the Sentencing Act is now in place, we would welcome prompt clarification as to how the

Found: Through the Sentencing Act 2026, we will implement a new, comprehensive release framework which will

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were released early in Lincolnshire in the last 12 months.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.

Without the changes this Government made, courts would have had to halt trials and the police cancel arrests, undermining public safety and leading to a disastrous impact on public confidence in the criminal justice system.

We regularly publish data on release from prison, including on forms of early release – for example we publish SDS40 data alongside the quarterly Offender Management statistics: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

Whilst measures like the SDS40 change provided the intended medium-term relief to the system, this was only ever a temporary change as a bridge to a more sustainable solution. That is why the Sentencing Act has now been passed, to ensure we never run out of prison space again and to deliver a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Sentencing Act 2020 to record crimes motivated by misogyny as hate crimes.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has no current plans to extend the Sentencing Act 2020 to include sex as an aggravating factor in the enhanced sentencing regime.

However, an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill has added sex to the list of protected characteristics under the aggravated offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. When this provision has been implemented – offences listed in the Act motivated by hostility against someone’s sex or presumed sex can be charged as an aggravated offence and the courts will be able to impose a longer sentence on conviction beyond those provided for in the Sentencing Act 2020.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the implementation of fixed release dates by the Parole Board.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Prisoners serving a determinate sentence are usually released automatically at a point fixed by legislation relating to their sentence. In contrast, indeterminate sentenced prisoners can only be released by the Parole Board after the expiry of their tariff. They must serve a minimum term, in full, in prison, at the end of which they can only be released if the independent Parole Board is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public for the offender to be confined. Therefore, introducing release dates fixed by the Parole Board would primarily affect indeterminate sentences.

In accordance with legislation, an indeterminate sentenced prisoner must have a parole review to consider whether the release test is met and if not, to confirm further detention. Reviews take place just prior to tariff expiry and then at least every two years thereafter. The setting of fixed release dates would not be compatible with the need for release to be based on the current risk posed by offenders and whether they could be managed safely if released into the community on licence.

During the passage of the Sentencing Act 2026, the House of Lords voted against an amendment to legislate for the Parole Board to fix a future release date for IPP prisoners.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the a) deterrents and b) sentences issued to repeat offenders.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Prolific offenders represent nearly 10% of offenders but account for just over 50% of all sentences. That clearly cannot continue. Their offending, while not high harm, hurts local communities through shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts and parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.

Previous convictions are a statutory aggravating factor, with sentencing guidelines being clear that sentencers must consider the nature and relevance of previous convictions, and the time elapsed since the previous convictions. For more serious prolific offending, we are clear that custody has a crucial role to play as a robust backstop, within the maximum penalties set out in statute.

The Sentencing Act 2026 introduced a presumption to suspend short sentences of 12 months or less. Around 60% of adults sentenced for under a year reoffend within 12 months, whereas the evidence shows that those given a community order or suspended sentence reoffend less than similar offenders given a short prison sentence. We are following the evidence to reduce crime, leading to fewer victims and safer communities. Short prison sentences will continue to be available where an offender has breached a court order, including breaching the requirements of a previous suspended sentence order or committing a further offence, as well as where an individual is at significant risk of harm and in exceptional circumstances.

There are a range of tools in the community available to tackle prolific offenders. Integrated Offender Management (IOM) sees joint management of the most persistent and problematic neighbourhood crime offenders by probation, police, and other partnership agencies providing cross-agency supervision and support. Our new approach on Intensive Supervision Courts will impose tough measures that address the causes of prolific offending.

We are investing up to £700 million in probation and community services by 2028/29 to help rebuild the Probation Service to deliver a strong, professional service at the heart of the criminal justice system. We will continue to work with cross government partners and police forces to consider new ways of targeting and focusing on persistent and prolific offenders.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the automatic release of Standard Determinate Recall prisoners under the Sentencing Act 2026 on public protection; and if he will publish the (a) criteria used to determine exemptions from automatic release and (b) number of prisoners expected to be released in each tranche between 31 March and 12 May 2026; and what safeguards are in place to manage cases involving people assessed as presenting a high risk of serious harm.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

An Impact Assessment, published on 1 September 2025, set out the expected effects of the automatic release following the implementation of the recall provisions in the Sentencing Act 2026, including their implications for public protection. Eligible offenders will be released from prisons across England and Wales; the precise number of offenders released via each tranche will be known once individual cases are processed. Details of changes to the recall population are published regularly in Offender Management Statistics.

Public protection remains paramount. We have gone further than the Independent Sentencing Review recommended by excluding offenders assessed as posing a greater risk, including those managed at the higher levels of Multi‑Agency Public Protection Arrangements. Furthermore, over 17,000 prisoners are serving sentences that will not be affected by these reforms: this includes those serving Extended Determinate Sentences, along with Life and Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences.

Additionally, the Secretary of State can convert a fixed‑term recall to a standard recall in exceptional circumstances, where an offender is assessed as presenting a high risk of serious harm at the end of their recall period, according to the specific criteria outlined in the legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released earlier than originally scheduled as a result of capacity pressures since 2024.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.

Without the changes this Government made, courts would have had to halt trials and the police cancel arrests, undermining public safety and leading to a disastrous impact on public confidence in the criminal justice system.

We regularly publish data on release from prison, including on forms of early release – for example we publish SDS40 data alongside the quarterly Offender Management statistics: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

Whilst measures like the SDS40 change provided the intended medium-term relief to the system, this was only ever a temporary change as a bridge to a more sustainable solution. That is why the Sentencing Act has now been passed, to ensure we never run out of prison space again and to deliver a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the long-term adequacy of using early release measures to manage prison capacity.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.

Without the changes this Government made, courts would have had to halt trials and the police cancel arrests, undermining public safety and leading to a disastrous impact on public confidence in the criminal justice system.

We regularly publish data on release from prison, including on forms of early release – for example we publish SDS40 data alongside the quarterly Offender Management statistics: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.

Whilst measures like the SDS40 change provided the intended medium-term relief to the system, this was only ever a temporary change as a bridge to a more sustainable solution. That is why the Sentencing Act has now been passed, to ensure we never run out of prison space again and to deliver a more sustainable solution to the prison capacity crisis.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of prison overcrowding on a) prison safety and b) rehabilitation outcomes.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The safety and decency of our prisons is paramount. We continually monitor prison conditions and take places on and offline depending on safety, stability, staffing levels and maintenance needs.

We recognise that overcrowding can make it harder for prisons to deliver safe, stable and rehabilitative regimes and we will not take decisions that create unacceptable risks to prison safety.

That is why we are increasing capacity at record rates, and our Sentencing Act will place the prison population on a more sustainable footing, paving the way for further reform of our prison systems so we can create better conditions and outcomes for our prisoners.

We are also improving access to rehabilitative services and purposeful activity and are increasing staff capability to support improved rehabilitation outcomes. We are strengthening safety and security by investing around £15 million in protective equipment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a specific criminal offence of assaulting a public transport worker at work.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker; everyone should feel safe and be safe whilst working. The Government values the commitment of everyone who works in the public transport sector ensuring the continued running of all the vital services which many people rely on daily.

The Government is not looking to introduce a specific criminal offence of assaulting a public transport worker as we do not believe it would result in the intended objective of reducing the number of assaults. Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022.

We are working with the transport industry to ensure that practical interventions are being taken to make workers to feel safe. This includes encouraging greater use of Body Worn Video (BWV) by rail staff and through the Bus Services Act 2025, we are mandating training for staff on how to recognise and respond to incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour on public transport where it is safe to do so.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of gender on (a) custodial sentence length and (b) rates of reoffending.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.

Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.

The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.

The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment he has made of custodial sentencing rates between male and female offenders for comparable offences.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.

Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.

The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.

The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure sentencing is equitable across genders.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.

Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring courts to assess culpability, harm, and all relevant aggravating and mitigating factors in each individual case. The law and guidelines allow sentencers to take account of an offender’s personal circumstances where relevant, such as primary caring responsibilities, pregnancy, mental health needs, or experiences of abuse, which may arise more frequently among female offenders.

The Independent Sentencing Review recognised that women in the criminal justice system often present with complex vulnerabilities and are typically lower risk to the public, and that short custodial sentences can be less effective for many women than robust community‑based alternatives. In response, the Government has taken forward reforms through the Sentencing Act 2026 to reduce the unnecessary use of short custodial sentences and expand the use of community‑based disposals where appropriate. These reforms apply to all offenders.

The Government is committed to ensuring sentencing is fair, proportionate, and equitable. Consistency is promoted through statutory guidelines and judicial training. Alongside this, in 2024, the Government has established a Women’s Justice Board to advise on reducing the number of women going to prison with more managed in the community. Community supervision can often be more effective than custody in addressing the root causes of offending, helping women rebuild their lives and reduce reoffending.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the women’s local data resources published by the Prison Reform Trust, what steps they are taking to address the regional disparities in the use of imprisonment for women.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the courts.

This Government has set a clear goal to reduce the number of women going to prison, with more managed in the community. The Sentencing Act represents a generational shift in reforming sentencing, offender management, and community supervision. The presumption for courts to suspend short custodial sentences, along with the increased use of suspended sentences, and increased flexibility to defer a sentence for longer, is expected to reduce the number of women going to prison.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on electronic monitoring contracts in each of the last five years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The spend on electronic monitoring contracts in each of the last five financial years is presented in the table below:

The total number of individuals with an electronic monitoring device assigned at 31 December 2025 was 28,111. This figure comes from the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication: (Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, December 2025 - GOV.UK).

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-december-2025

The cost per tag information is commercially sensitive. The Ministry of Justice believes that releasing information on device costs would prejudice, or likely prejudice Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring’s (the provider of the monitoring equipment) commercial interests.

The latest assessment of average running costs per offender per year is £3,130 – related to direct EM costs only. That figure includes contracted out and internal costs but does not include the average cost of a probation or police officer supervising an individual with EM.

Tagging is a critical tool for punishing and monitoring offenders outside of prison which is why we are already tagging more offenders than ever before and will increase numbers further through the Sentencing Act.

For information relating to the additional supervision costs of managing an individual with EM please refer to the following answer: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost is per electronic monitoring tag; and what the running costs are of those tags.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The spend on electronic monitoring contracts in each of the last five financial years is presented in the table below:

The total number of individuals with an electronic monitoring device assigned at 31 December 2025 was 28,111. This figure comes from the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication: (Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, December 2025 - GOV.UK).

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-december-2025

The cost per tag information is commercially sensitive. The Ministry of Justice believes that releasing information on device costs would prejudice, or likely prejudice Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring’s (the provider of the monitoring equipment) commercial interests.

The latest assessment of average running costs per offender per year is £3,130 – related to direct EM costs only. That figure includes contracted out and internal costs but does not include the average cost of a probation or police officer supervising an individual with EM.

Tagging is a critical tool for punishing and monitoring offenders outside of prison which is why we are already tagging more offenders than ever before and will increase numbers further through the Sentencing Act.

For information relating to the additional supervision costs of managing an individual with EM please refer to the following answer: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many electronic monitoring tags are in use.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The spend on electronic monitoring contracts in each of the last five financial years is presented in the table below:

The total number of individuals with an electronic monitoring device assigned at 31 December 2025 was 28,111. This figure comes from the Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication: (Electronic Monitoring Statistics Publication, December 2025 - GOV.UK).

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electronic-monitoring-statistics-publication-december-2025

The cost per tag information is commercially sensitive. The Ministry of Justice believes that releasing information on device costs would prejudice, or likely prejudice Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring’s (the provider of the monitoring equipment) commercial interests.

The latest assessment of average running costs per offender per year is £3,130 – related to direct EM costs only. That figure includes contracted out and internal costs but does not include the average cost of a probation or police officer supervising an individual with EM.

Tagging is a critical tool for punishing and monitoring offenders outside of prison which is why we are already tagging more offenders than ever before and will increase numbers further through the Sentencing Act.

For information relating to the additional supervision costs of managing an individual with EM please refer to the following answer: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission a study into the impact and consequences of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, as recommended in the Independent Sentencing Review 2025, published on 22 May 2025.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) published its findings on 22 May 2025, and the previous Lord Chancellor welcomed the recommendations and accepted the majority of them in principle. The Sentencing Act takes forward many of the ISR recommendations and it received royal assent on 22 January, and the first tranche of measures will come into effect on 22 March. We are continuing to consider how we take forward the ISR's recommendations that do not require legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of courts using Community Orders under the Sentencing Framework on re-offending rates in the last two years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The reoffending rates for adults with an index disposal of a community order was 36.4% in 2022/23 and 38.0% in 2023/24. The data can be found in the latest proven reoffending statistics release, in the annual tables here, in table C1a.

Studies have found that short custodial sentences of less than 12 months were associated with higher reoffending rates (approximately 4 percentage points higher) than when court orders of any length had been given (which includes both community orders and suspended sentence orders).

However, it is essential that community punishment works. The Sentencing Act 2026 includes a range of measures to make community punishment tougher. These include banning offenders from attending pubs, bars and clubs, as well as public events such as sports and concerts. The courts will also be able to prohibit an offender from driving as a punishment regardless of the offence they have committed. We have also introduced new tough restriction zones which will restrict offenders to a specific geographical area. These will be electronically monitored and are intended to serve not just as a punishment, but as an important tool to protect victims.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of prison recalls following implementation of the Sentencing Act 2026.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Further work is underway to understand how best we can support practitioners in safely managing risk in the community. This will inform future options to ensure recall continues to be used proportionately, to support both public protection and rehabilitation.

We are also looking at our approach to recall across the prison estate, including how the 56-day recall period can be used more purposefully in custody, alongside gathering learning from regional initiatives to safely reduce recalls and strengthen pre-release and release-day support. This work will support our cross-government commitment to halve the proportion of offenders on probation who become homeless on their first night out of prison; and shape future options for a more consistent, end-to-end, and evidence-based approach to recall across the estate.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve probation services.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

A package of measures has been announced to continue rebuilding the Probation Service, reflecting the Government’s commitment to strengthening probation services and improving public protection. By the final year of the spending review period, funding for probation and community services will increase by up to £700 million, an increase of around 45%.

Recruitment and training of staff remain high priorities, to ensure we have a sufficient workforce to safely supervise and manage people in the community. And we are recruiting more probation officers. The Probation Service exceeded our 2024-25 trainee target of 1,000, successfully onboarding 1,057 trainees and we have committed to onboarding a further 1,300 trainees in 2025/26.

Through the Our Future Probation Service (OFPS) Programme we will address the imbalance between capacity and workload, by reducing probation workloads by 25% by April 2027. We will achieve this by streamlining processes, reducing administrative tasks, and ensuring staff time is focused where it can have the greatest impact.

We are developing better digital tools to reduce the administrative burden at multiple stages of the probation journey, allowing probation practitioners to focus on public protection and rehabilitation. For example, we have developed Justice Transcribe, an AI-powered tool that takes meeting audio and turns into an accurate summary. This is done in minutes, and it cuts the time spent on writing up notes by more than 70%. Practitioners have reported reduced stress, increased confidence and more time to focus on people on probation, public safety and decision-making rather than administration.

Probation will prioritise supervision in the critical period after release – when offenders are most likely to reoffend – and focus resources on those who pose the highest risk. The Sentencing Act 2026 introduces several measures to streamline processes and enable probation to focus their efforts where they matter most to protect the public. The Government is also investing in expanded monitoring and introducing new restrictive licence conditions to further strengthen probation’s ability to monitor and manage serious offenders in the community.

Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) are specialist interventions delivered in partnership with private, voluntary and community organisations to support individuals under probation supervision, or on license following release from custody. They address key rehabilitative needs that, if unmet, increase the risk of reoffending and are designed to complement and improve access to mainstream services such as housing, healthcare, and local authority support. New contracts will go live in summer 2027 (Men) and Autumn 2028 (Women) which will further enhance the service offering including person-centred, strengths-based services with enhanced community links to connect offenders to new opportunities and social networks; enhanced custodial delivery; and greater focus on outcomes including distance-travelled.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take legislative steps through the Sentencing Bill to toughen fines and sentences for people convicted of the assault of retail workers.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Sentencing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 22 January 2026 and is therefore not open to further amendment. However, the Government is taking additional steps to strengthen protections for retail workers through the Crime and Policing Bill. It is unacceptable that violence and abuse towards retail workers continues to rise. That is why, through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. This bespoke offence will send a clear signal to perpetrators that assaults on retail workers are unacceptable and won’t go unpunished.

The Crime and Policing Bill also ensures that all shop theft is treated with the seriousness it deserves by repealing section 22A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, so low value shop theft (of £200 or less) is no longer treated separately as a summary-only offence, but can instead be prosecuted as general theft, which carries a higher maximum penalty. Together, these measures further reinforce the Government’s commitment to tackling violence, abuse and criminality affecting retail staff.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help improve safety for the LGBT+ community.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to ensuring that LGBT+ people are safe, supported and able to live their lives free from discrimination, prejudice and hate.

As set out in our manifesto, we are expanding the aggravated offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 so that crimes motivated by hostility towards a person’s sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability attract tougher penalties, in line with existing aggravated offences for race and religion.

As my Hon. friend Dame Diana Johnson confirmed at Commons Report Stage on 18 June, the Government will implement this through an amendment in the Lords to the Crime and Policing Bill.

Through the Sentencing Act 2020, courts already apply enhanced sentencing where there is evidence of hostility based on sexual orientation or transgender identity. The expansion of aggravated offences will further reinforce the seriousness with which these crimes are treated, ensuring perpetrators face longer sentences and communities are better protected.

Found: Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11). (24)S.I. 2011/1830, amended by paragraph 446 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Found: regulations”. (2)S.I. 2005/3361, amended by section 410 and paragraph 343 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Amend the Sentencing Act 2020 to make whole life orders mandatory for murder and for offenders who commit murder after previous convictions for serious violent or sexual offences, so life imprisonment means imprisonment for natural life in these cases.

Found: Amend the Sentencing Act 2020 to make whole life orders mandatory for murder and for offenders who commit

Amend the Sentencing Act 2020 to require courts to impose an automatic Whole Life Order for any conviction of proven premeditated murder, without setting a minimum term for parole eligibility, except where diminished responsibility or mental incapacity is established.

Found: Amend the Sentencing Act 2020 to require courts to impose an automatic Whole Life Order for any conviction

We call on the Government to review the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act to introduce stricter mandatory minimum sentences for animal cruelty and abandonment. We also request the creation of a national database of offenders to prevent them from acquiring animals in the future.

Found: We call on the Government to review the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act to introduce stricter mandatory

Found: The Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 amended the OMA 2007 to permit polygraph testing with

Found: The Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 amended the OMA 2007 to permit polygraph testing with

Found: simplify the release process to reduce the scope for errors through the implementation of the Sentencing Act

Found: simplify the release process to reduce the scope for errors through the implementation of the Sentencing Act

Found: The recently introduced Sentencing Act and the recommendations of the Independent Sentencing Review

Found: This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures. 3.

Found: This covers the implementation of the Sentencing Act measures. 3.

Found: refusal in line with the changes to the duty to deport Foreign National Offenders included in the Sentencing Act

Found: refusal in line with the changes to the duty to deport Foreign National Offenders included in the Sentencing Act

Found: refusal in line with the changes to the duty to deport Foreign National Offenders included in the Sentencing Act

Found: refusal in line with the changes to the duty to deport Foreign National Offenders included in the Sentencing Act

Found: triable either-way offence were varied between 6 and 12 months (using the varying power in the Sentencing Act

Found: Through the Sentencing Act 2026, we have already taken a major step forward - for the first time in

Found: either-way offences are governed by the general limit set under paragraph 14A of Schedule 23 to the Sentencing Act

Found: Relevant Legislation Interaction with Hate Crime Legislation (Crime and Disorder Act 1998) and Sentencing Act

Found: Government does not deem a community resolution appropriate for a knife possession offence. 13 Sentencing Act

Found: Youth Justice and International, Jake Richards, said: This new measure, part of the historic Sentencing Act

Found: We are entering a crucial period as the implementation of the Sentencing Act reforms begins.

Found: The Sentencing Act 2026 establishes a package of amendments to the Bail Act 1976 to help reduce the prison

Found: which come into force from 26 March, will bring Immigration Rules in line with reforms in the Sentencing Act

Found: Through the Sentencing Act, we have already taken a major first step: Once implemented, it will mean

Found: act 1978 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 criminal justice act 1988 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 sentencing act

Found: protection of children act 1978 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 criminal justice act 1988 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 sentencing act

Found: England and WalesTable 7Offender outcomes for repeat possession offences under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act

Found: note that it is not possible to replicate published figures on cases under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act

Found: Government commissioned the Independent Sentencing Review into prison overcrowding, with the Sentencing Act

Found: The Sentencing Act 2020 that governs compensation orders applies only to convictions since December

Found: pre-sentence report. 5.2.3 A judge must order a pre-sentence report where obliged to do under s.30 Sentencing Act

Found: Sentences have been available for the most serious offences since the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act

Found: We are entering a crucial period as the implementation of the Sentencing Act reforms begins.

Found: Crown Court: Representation Order Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 Part 1A of Schedule

Found: Government commissioned the Independent Sentencing Review into prison overcrowding, with the Sentencing Act

Found: a result of the Spending Review (SR), Independent Review of Sentencing (IRS) and subsequent Sentencing Act

Found: Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11). (24)S.I. 2011/1830, amended by paragraph 446 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Found: Scotland Act 2016 (c. 11). (24)S.I. 2011/1830, amended by paragraph 446 of Schedule 24 to the Sentencing Act

Found: The recently introduced Sentencing Act and the recommendations of the Independent Sentencing Review

Found: (2)(a) of the Sentencing Code (breach of criminal behaviour order); Section 354(4)(a) of the Sentencing Act

Found: intimate photograph or film shared temporarily : An amendment which amends section 154A of the Sentencing Act

Found: parliamentary debate, with the Official Opposition tabling amendments during the passage of the now Sentencing Act

Found: Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17) 12 The Sentencing Code is amended as follows. (1) (2) In Part 1 of Schedule

Found: further consequential amendment to the confiscation provisions in Schedule 1 8 arising from the Sentencing Act

Found: Government does not deem a community resolution appropriate for a knife possession offence. 13 Sentencing Act

Found: served a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: a custodial sentence within the meaning of 20 section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: serving a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: serving a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: serving a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: serving a custodial sentence within the meaning of section 76 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: the “applicable limit” set out in section 224(1A) (b) of the Sentencing Code, contained in the Sentencing Act

Found: and Security Act 2015 • Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 • Sentencing Act

Found: The Welsh Government raised concerns about the Sentencing Act and its potential impact on victims, particularly

Found: reserved for only the most serious wrongdoing. 11.2 The Sentencing Code in P arts 2 to 13 of the Sentencing Act

Found: Do not include children detained under Sections 90 to 92 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: the time being speci fied by order under section 107(1)(e) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act

Found: the time being speci fied by order under section 107(1)(e) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act