Criminal thugs set to serve just 20% of their sentence under new Labour plan

Criminals will be able to get their prison sentences cut by 40% if they plead guilty, under new reforms set to be announced by the Government. The recommendation from a review by former High Court judge Sir Brian Leveson will increase the current ‘discount’ from one-third, setting criminals free years sooner than under the current system.

When paired with other reforms allowing criminals to serve just one-third of their sentence before being released, a thug sentenced to 10 years could be let free after just two years. Sir Brian’s report will also recommend “out of court resolutions” for low-tier crimes, which include theft, drug-taking and other public order offences. This would involve giving criminals a slap on the wrist, using cautions, fixed penalty notices, and rehabilitation courses.

At its weakest, those involved could be issued with a mere written warning or an apology to the victim. Some may not even receive a criminal record as a result of the changes.

The proposal has been met with condemnation, with one lawyer saying it will “give a green light to shoplift and do drugs”.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has come under fire since Labour’s election win last year for releasing thousands of criminals early, some of whom have gone on to re-offend.

Ms Mahmood has argued she has no choice but to be soft on criminals due to a prison capacity crisis threatening the functioning of the criminal justice system.

By November last year, at least 3,100 criminals had been freed early by Labour’s early release scheme, including 1,889 on the first day.

At least 37 prisoners were let out early by mistake, and one prisoner let out early killed someone on the same day he was released in a brutal knife attack.

Sir Brian’s report will also recommend ending jury trials for a number of mid-level offences such as actual bodily harm, but will demand any reforms are paired with significant increases in Crown court investment.

Robert Jenrick, the Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary, warned: “‘We await Brian Leveson’s full report, but if true this would mean that criminals could get away with serving just a fifth of their sentence.”

“There is no mandate for such a change. The public are already sick to death with criminals getting discounts off their crimes.”

The recommendations were leaked to the Daily Mail ahead of publication.

The current prison systems backpack hit a record 73,000 last year, having surged during the pandemic.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘We know that justice delayed is justice denied, and it is clear that many cases are taking too long to reach trial.”

"That’s why we’re backing our courts with record funding and have asked Sir Brian Leveson to recommend once-in-a-generation reform to tackle delays and speed up justice for victims.”