UK Bans People With Criminal Records From Travel, Others In New Policy
- Criminals in the UK could soon be banned from pubs, concerts, and sports matches under sweeping new sentencing powers
- The government’s Plan for Change aims to toughen community punishments and expand restrictions on offenders, including travel bans and mandatory drug testing
- Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the reforms would help cut crime and ensure that “crime does not pay”
The United Kingdom announced on Sunday a sweeping expansion of sentencing powers that would see criminals barred from pubs, concerts, and sports matches under its newly launched Plan for Change.
The move forms part of a broader strategy to clamp down on reoffending and bolster public safety.
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Officials stated that judges would soon be empowered to impose a wider range of restrictions on offenders, including driving limits, travel bans, and confinement to designated zones. These measures are intended to toughen up community-based punishments and reinforce the message that criminal behaviour carries serious consequences.
The government said the changes would apply not only to those sentenced in court but also to individuals released from prison and placed under supervision by the Probation Service. These offenders would face similar curbs on their freedoms, alongside an expanded regime of mandatory drug testing.
“In the future, criminals without known drug habits will face this scrutiny, not just those with a history of substance misuse. Offenders who break the rules face being brought back to court or hauled back to prison as punishment, depending on the sentence they are serving,” the government stated on its website.
Shabana Mahmood: Crime “must be punished”
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the reforms were central to the government’s Plan for Change, aimed at cutting crime and making streets safer.
“When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished. Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there, too.
“These new punishments should remind all offenders that, under this Government, crime does not pay. Rightly, the public expects the government to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, and that’s what we’re doing,” Mahmood was quoted as saying.
Expanded banning powers for judges
Currently, judges are permitted to issue limited bans for specific offences, such as football bans for crimes committed inside stadiums on match days. However, the government confirmed that it would soon change the law to allow such bans to be applied more broadly, regardless of the offence or setting.
The reform is part of a wider overhaul of sentencing policy designed to ensure that punishments are effective in reducing crime and that prison capacity is sufficient to house dangerous offenders.
Investment in prisons and probation services
Since July 2024, more than 2,400 new prison places have been made available, with the government investing £7 billion to create a total of 14,000 places in response to a growing prison population.
The Probation Service is also set to receive a significant funding boost, with its budget increasing by up to £700 million by 2028/29—up from the current annual allocation of approximately £1.6 billion. The government revealed that the number of probation officers had risen by 7% over the past year, while trainee recruitment surged by 15%.
“This follows the government’s commitment to recruit a further 1,300 this year, in addition to the 1,000 trainee probation officers recruited last year. New technology, including artificial intelligence, will lighten the administrative burden and free up time for probation staff to increase supervision of the most dangerous offenders and keep the public safe,” the government disclosed.
UK bans Nigerian health workers from bringing dependants
Legit.ng earlier reported that healthcare and social workers are no longer permitted to enter the UK with dependents, according to a new development.
The UK Home Office announced this on Monday, March 11, 2024, through its verified X handle, which was formerly Twitter.
Source: Legit.ng
