Overview

• Offenders sentenced to less than a year in prison could avoid incarceration under new proposals, instead performing unpaid community work such as filling potholes and cleaning bins.
• Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood aims to address severe prison overcrowding by expanding community sentencing and diverting offender wages to victims and victim charities.
• Proposed roles for offenders include working with local councils or private companies, performing tasks like graffiti removal, stacking supermarket shelves, and other labor-intensive jobs.
• Critics, including former Prisons Minister Ann Widdecombe, argue the plan represents 'softer justice' and stress the need for additional prison spaces instead of reduced sentencing.
• An independent review led by David Gauke, expected this week, is anticipated to recommend scrapping short jail terms in favor of community-based alternatives to reduce reliance on incarceration.