Toughest restrictions ever imposed on offenders on licence
Offenders leaving prison from today will be monitored under the toughest supervision in British history, as new powers to restrict their movements come into force.
- World-first restriction zones will keep offenders in areas just a few miles wide
- Bans from pubs, clubs, football matches and public events
- A record number of offenders are being tagged, as Government rolls out biggest ever extension of tagging
- Victim-focused approach to justice will see national helpline for victims and trauma-focused local support services
Offenders leaving prison from today will be monitored under the toughest supervision in British history, as new powers to restrict their movements come into force.
The new tough new rules that will mean the prison gate is no longer where punishment ends, creating a prison in the community to protect the public and victims.
For the first time anywhere in the world, new restriction zones will tightly control the movements of the highest-risk sexual and violent offenders - confining many to an area just a few miles wide, keeping them away from those they have harmed and allowing victims to rebuild their lives without fear.
The biggest ever expansion of electronic monitoring in British history is also being rolled out with a new presumption that offenders will be electronically tagged and monitored when they leave prison. New technology rolling out this year will give probation near-live access to tagging data, helping probation staff spot breaches and act quickly when offenders step out of line.
Cracking down further still, offenders can also now be banned from pubs, clubs and public events like football matches to prevent disruption and harm to the community. From next year, the government is also launching random drug testing for thousands of offenders.
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Norris, said:
Today we are introducing the toughest ever range of tools to control prison leavers and better protect the public.
We understand the anxiety victims face ahead of offenders release dates, but the greatest danger to victims would be prisons running out of cells for dangerous criminals which was the crisis this government inherited.
Our plan will make sure this never happens again by building 14,000 prison places while subjecting offenders to the toughest ever controls – leaving them nowhere to hide and under no doubt that we are watching them.
This follows action by the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor to block more of the most dangerous offenders from coming out of prison any earlier, including those serving time for manslaughter and death by drunk or dangerous driving.
Criminals locked up for rape, and serious and historic child sex offences such as grooming will also stay locked up. When these offenders are finally released, they will be subject to the highest levels of contact and oversight, including being forced to live in secure accommodation with strict curfews.
Under these changes, victims will be firmly at the front and centre of the justice system, offered better practical and emotional support, thanks to a new helpline, operated by Victim Support, launching today. Local therapeutic support and victim advocacy will also be strengthened as part of an £18.9m cash injection, meaning victims can access the specialist help they need, when they need it.
The government is also investing an unprecedented £550 million towards victim support services as part of its mission to halve violence against women and girls. This comes on top of £500m to give domestic abuse victims and their children safe accommodation, placing domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres, and rolling out Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to protect victims.
Boosting victim protection comes after tis government inherited a prisons system in crisis. Adult male prisons are now at 98% capacity after more than decade of underinvestment when just 500 net spaces were added. That is why this government is fixing the broken prison system for good. This Government has delivered more than 3,300 prison places, part of a pledge to build 14,000 over the next five years.
This record prison-building programme will put prisons on a sustainable footing, keep cells available for dangerous criminals and end the cycle of emergency release measures used before July 2024.
From early next year, we will introduce a new power to deport some foreign criminals immediately after sentencing, blocking them from ever returning to the country, while keeping those in prison for the most serious crimes locked up for a substantial period before they are removed.
Notes to editors:
- We are investing a record £700 million investment in probation and community punishment, including £100 million to expand electronic monitoring and 1,300 additional probation staff to strengthen supervision and protect the public.