Anna Soubry, has welcomed the Government's announcement today on sentencing reform. Anna said:
“I am very pleased the Government will not be increasing the mandatory one third discount for a guilty plea to fifty per cent. I spoke out against the idea and the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor have clearly listened to people with front line experience in the criminal justice system.
Today’s Bill lays out a radical set of reforms; the Bill will make prison work with prisoners working harder and longer, earning money for the victims of crime, getting the skills to help them on release to find work and proper rehabilitation to stop the scandal whereby almost half of released prisoners re offend within a year.
I am also pleased that the Government will review the policy on determinate or IPP sentences introduced by the last Government. I hope they will scrap the system which has left serious offenders languishing in prison, ineffective punishment and inconsistent sentences. “