Short prison sentences are to be replaced by tougher punishments in the community — including banning offenders from pubs or sports matches — as ministers attempt to manage the prisons crisis in England and Wales.
Shabana Mahmood, justice secretary, wants to stop short sentences in all but exceptional circumstances, arguing that they are often counter-productive and that prisons are already close to full capacity.
A Sentencing bill to be presented to parliament this autumn will seek to allay public concerns that the government is going soft on crime, giving judges new powers to punish offenders with bans that curtail their freedom — and how they spend their leisure time.