Policy paper

2010 to 2015 government policy: sentencing reform

Updated 8 May 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Applies to England and Wales

© Crown copyright 2015

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-sentencing-reform/2010-to-2015-government-policy-sentencing-reform

This is a copy of a document that stated a policy of the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government. The previous URL of this page was https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-sentencing-more-effective. Current policies can be found at the GOV.UK policies list.

Issue

We need to make sure that sentences are more effective at punishing offenders and repairing the harm caused to victims.

Where community sentences are given, offenders should work longer hours, carrying out purposeful, unpaid activity which benefits their local community. Where curfews are imposed, these need to be longer and more restrictive.

Actions

We will reform adult sentencing by:

  • introducing legislation to make sure that all community sentences have a punitive element, such as a curfew or unpaid work
  • making better use of technology to track offenders and enforce other community orders
  • allowing courts to defer sentences to allow for restorative justice to take place, where both victim and offender are willing to participate

We are working with the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to review the use of simple cautions, particularly for serious offences and persistent offenders.

Background

We have already implemented a number of reforms to sentencing in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, which received Royal Assent on 1 May 2012.

Who we’ve consulted

The government ran a consultation ‘Breaking the cycle: effective, punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders’ in 2010, which introduced a review of sentencing policy. We published a government response to the consultation in June 2011.

Bills and legislation

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (2012), introduced a number of reforms to sentencing, including:

  • longer, more restrictive curfews
  • a new regime where more dangerous offenders are given life sentences, and others spending long periods in prison are supervised for long periods after their release
  • new knife crime offences and mandatory minimum custodial sentences for those who carry knives and offensive weapons in schools and public places
  • a new offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, with a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment

The Crime and Courts Act that includes reforms to community sentences, received Royal Assent on 25 April 2013.

The Offender Rehabilitation Bill proposes a number of measures that include the period for extended sentence prisoners, and community orders.

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