Former justice secretary David Gauke is reviewing sentencing (Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
Prisoners could be released early if they behave behind bars, Labour’s sentencing tsar has hinted.
Former Tory justice secretary David Gauke, who is now leading Labour’s sentencing review, said criminals in Texas are “released earlier” if they obey the rules and complete their rehabilitation courses.
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Sponsored
Promoted Links Promoted Links
After Losing Weight Kevin James Looks Like A ModelOld Money Style
Undo
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Soppy Starmer's answer to problems is kicking them into the long grass, says Carole Malone
58 Comments
Woman who failed 8 times to get asylum in UK finally succeeds after joining terror group
287 Comments
Keir Starmer under fire from top judge who proves exactly what's wrong with UK
130 Comments
Allowing asylum seeker to stay in the UK after joining a terror group branded 'sick joke'
74 Comments
Overcrowded prisons are no excuse to make our justice system a joke
18 Comments
Robert Jenrick fumes over grooming gang members on the run - 'where are they?'
17 Comments
Migrant children, 6 and 9, crossed Channel alone - now parents want asylum in UK too
179 Comments
Keir Starmer just handed Nigel Farage an open goal that he can't possibly miss
243 Comments
Dopey Yvette Cooper has lost the plot entirely with totally useless knife crime proposal
90 Comments
‘Homes for Hamas': Lee Anderson erupts as court ruling 'opens floodgates' to Gaza
589 Comments
Labour still doesn't get one major reason UK is being laughed at on world stage
166 Comments
Nigel Farage slams 'miserable' Rachel Reeves and calls for 'spirit of optimism'
65 Comments
'Spiking' to be outlawed with 10-year sentence after one in ten women victims
11 Comments
Labour civil was as Keir Starmer under fire with migrant failings exposed
182 Comments
If A Cat Bites Their Owner Heres What It Really MeansGloriousa
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Fury as Labour crime review chief says jailing criminals longer 'fails victims'
70 Comments
Failure to deport crook slammed as 'sick' and shows judges are 'protecting paedophiles'
135 Comments
工程Top-up Degrees 专业技能助您筑起前路SHAPE 才晋高等教育学院 立即申请
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Tories demand 'radical overhaul' of human rights laws to end migration madness
225 Comments
Zimbabwean paedophile allowed to stay in UK as he'd face 'hostility' back home
35 Comments
MSIG 家居保险MSIG 了解更多
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
I'm a legal expert - this is why Baroness Carr was wrong to criticise Kemi Badenoch
44 Comments
Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway feels 'sick' as she details 'rage' on air
Comments
狗狗不让宝宝一个人睡觉——父母终於发现了原因！有趣事实 阅读更多
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Soppy Starmer's answer to problems is kicking them into the long grass, says Carole Malone
58 Comments
Woman who failed 8 times to get asylum in UK finally succeeds after joining terror group
287 Comments
Eat these High Protein Foods Without GuiltTheHealthyLifeTips.com
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Keir Starmer under fire from top judge who proves exactly what's wrong with UK
130 Comments
Allowing asylum seeker to stay in the UK after joining a terror group branded 'sick joke'
74 Comments
Skyler 记忆棉床褥 - HK$3,424 起Skyler Mattress 立即选购
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Overcrowded prisons are no excuse to make our justice system a joke
18 Comments
Robert Jenrick fumes over grooming gang members on the run - 'where are they?'
17 Comments
狗狗坚决不让婴儿单独待著—父母知道原因后，立刻报警有趣事实 了解更多
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Migrant children, 6 and 9, crossed Channel alone - now parents want asylum in UK too
179 Comments
Keir Starmer just handed Nigel Farage an open goal that he can't possibly miss
243 Comments
您将可以购买这些电动车，看看价格电动车 | 搜寻广告 立即搜索
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Dopey Yvette Cooper has lost the plot entirely with totally useless knife crime proposal
90 Comments
‘Homes for Hamas': Lee Anderson erupts as court ruling 'opens floodgates' to Gaza
589 Comments
不小心把钥匙断在锁孔很深怎么取出?不要著急TopManFun 了解更多
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Labour still doesn't get one major reason UK is being laughed at on world stage
166 Comments
Nigel Farage slams 'miserable' Rachel Reeves and calls for 'spirit of optimism'
65 Comments
2024 年最纾压的农场遊戏！无需安装东加：岛屿农场 立即播放
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
'Spiking' to be outlawed with 10-year sentence after one in ten women victims
11 Comments
Labour civil was as Keir Starmer under fire with migrant failings exposed
182 Comments
Fury as Labour crime review chief says jailing criminals longer 'fails victims'
70 Comments
Failure to deport crook slammed as 'sick' and shows judges are 'protecting paedophiles'
135 Comments
Tories demand 'radical overhaul' of human rights laws to end migration madness
225 Comments
Zimbabwean paedophile allowed to stay in UK as he'd face 'hostility' back home
35 Comments
I'm a legal expert - this is why Baroness Carr was wrong to criticise Kemi Badenoch
44 Comments
Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway feels 'sick' as she details 'rage' on air
Comments
Soppy Starmer's answer to problems is kicking them into the long grass, says Carole Malone
58 Comments
Woman who failed 8 times to get asylum in UK finally succeeds after joining terror group
287 Comments
Keir Starmer under fire from top judge who proves exactly what's wrong with UK
130 Comments
Allowing asylum seeker to stay in the UK after joining a terror group branded 'sick joke'
74 Comments
Overcrowded prisons are no excuse to make our justice system a joke
18 Comments
Robert Jenrick fumes over grooming gang members on the run - 'where are they?'
17 Comments
Migrant children, 6 and 9, crossed Channel alone - now parents want asylum in UK too
179 Comments
Laying the groundwork for a radical new approach to crime, Mr Gauke added “it’s worth looking at other places where this has happened”.
The former minister said “politicians have operated in a vacuum” by repeatedly calling for more offenders to be locked up.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been trying to avoid crises in the Ministry of Justice (Image: PA)
This, he argued, led to the prison overcrowding crisis.
Sponsored
Rebang 360 了解更多
世上最好的7种「长寿药」，竟然都是免费的！知道你就赚大了…
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Mr Gauke has warned the public of a “fundamental shift” in sentencing, adding that justice chiefs have previously believed “the only form of punishment that counts is imprisonment”.
He told GB News: “What you can do is rehabilitate. And there are some jurisdictions like Texas, for example – no one would accuse Texas of being a soft touch.
“They found that their prisons were full, then they took action to essentially reward good behaviour for prisoners who were on long sentences, who had committed serious crimes, but if they behaved, stuck by the prison rules, that they worked, they did the courses, that they will be released earlier.
“And crime in Texas has fallen substantially as well.
“It is worth looking at other places where this has happened, it's worked, and it's contributed towards reducing crime.”
Mr Gauke’s review has so far found that an “over-reliance” on a “tough on crime narrative and belief that longer incarceration is the only effective means of punishment has left the system overwhelmed and ineffective.”
Justice chiefs have been grappling to avoid a law and order crisis behind bars.
Prisons last year had just 80 cells left, meaning police could have had to stop arresting offenders.
Some 1,750 convicts were released under emergency measures to ease the overcrowding crisis behind bars.
Criminals were let out after 40% of their sentence, rather than halfway through, in a desperate bid to prevent the system spiralling out of control.
But another former justice secretary, Alex Chalk, said ministers should “test” European judges and scramble to deport more foreign criminals.
Mr Chalk said: “I sweated blood, metaphorically speaking, to [deport foreign prisoners].
“Part of the issue is that of the 10,500, about 6,000 are not convicted – they’re on remand. Because they're not guilty of an offence, you can't do anything with them.
“Of the remainder, some are from countries where we’re not allowed to send people back; Afghanistan, Syria, for example.
“Now my view is that we should be testing that. We should potentially be more robust about that issue.
“I think we should be testing the ECHR. Is it really correct to say that it is torture or human or degrading treatment to send someone back to parts of Afghanistan? I think that's something we should test.
“We also legislated that if a foreign national offender gets to within 18 months of their release date, we will tell them, ‘sling your hook, get out of the country.’
“I think it was the right thing to do to try and get [foreign national offenders] out of the country.”
Trending
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Making the case against longer sentences, the review said: “Despite the focus on longer sentences, the literature highlights that longer sentences do not necessarily encourage deterrence or better rehabilitation (for some offenders, longer prison terms increase their likelihood of reoffending).
“In fact, the evidence suggests that interventions and support during and after a sentence are arguably more important in reducing reoffending.”
It added: “As part of this fundamental shift, this review also provides an opportunity to reconsider the fundamental principles around notions of “punishment”.
“The Sentencing Council acknowledges that there are many aspects of criminal justice that offenders experience as punitive, even in the absence of sentences with deterrent intentions.156 For instance, the Sentencing Council notes that there is limited research into offender experiences of fines, and their perceived punitiveness.”
The National Audit Office (NAO) has said current prison expansion plans are "insufficient to meet future demand" amid a projected shortage of 12,400 prison places by the end of 2027, with costs expected to be at least ￡4billion higher than initially estimated.
The watchdog also said the then government's 2021 pledge to create an extra 20,000 cells spaces by building more prisons, temporary wings and refurbishing existing cell blocks is now not expected to be met until 2031 - around five years later than promised.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Soppy Starmer's answer to problems is kicking them into the long grass, says Carole Malone
58 Comments
Woman who failed 8 times to get asylum in UK finally succeeds after joining terror group
287 Comments
Keir Starmer under fire from top judge who proves exactly what's wrong with UK
130 Comments
Allowing asylum seeker to stay in the UK after joining a terror group branded 'sick joke'
74 Comments
Overcrowded prisons are no excuse to make our justice system a joke
18 Comments
Robert Jenrick fumes over grooming gang members on the run - 'where are they?'
17 Comments
Migrant children, 6 and 9, crossed Channel alone - now parents want asylum in UK too
179 Comments
Keir Starmer just handed Nigel Farage an open goal that he can't possibly miss
243 Comments
Dopey Yvette Cooper has lost the plot entirely with totally useless knife crime proposal
90 Comments
‘Homes for Hamas': Lee Anderson erupts as court ruling 'opens floodgates' to Gaza
589 Comments
Labour still doesn't get one major reason UK is being laughed at on world stage
166 Comments
Nigel Farage slams 'miserable' Rachel Reeves and calls for 'spirit of optimism'
65 Comments
'Spiking' to be outlawed with 10-year sentence after one in ten women victims
11 Comments
Labour civil was as Keir Starmer under fire with migrant failings exposed
182 Comments
Walmart Photos Which Are Not For EveryoneOld Money Style
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Fury as Labour crime review chief says jailing criminals longer 'fails victims'
70 Comments
Failure to deport crook slammed as 'sick' and shows judges are 'protecting paedophiles'
135 Comments
Dana Delany, 68, Shows Off Her Perfect Figure In A New PhotoInvestructor
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Tories demand 'radical overhaul' of human rights laws to end migration madness
225 Comments
Zimbabwean paedophile allowed to stay in UK as he'd face 'hostility' back home
35 Comments
96岁老太太卖楼，买家走进去完全惊呆了The Travel Breeze
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
I'm a legal expert - this is why Baroness Carr was wrong to criticise Kemi Badenoch
44 Comments
Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway feels 'sick' as she details 'rage' on air
Comments
每天喝苹果醋的7大好处：身体会感谢你的有趣事实
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Soppy Starmer's answer to problems is kicking them into the long grass, says Carole Malone
58 Comments
Woman who failed 8 times to get asylum in UK finally succeeds after joining terror group
287 Comments
苹果醋7种隐藏力量：从保健到美容的天然良方有趣事实
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Keir Starmer under fire from top judge who proves exactly what's wrong with UK
130 Comments
Allowing asylum seeker to stay in the UK after joining a terror group branded 'sick joke'
74 Comments
Remember Tiger's Ex-Wife? Try Not To Smile When You See Her NowPaperela
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Overcrowded prisons are no excuse to make our justice system a joke
18 Comments
Robert Jenrick fumes over grooming gang members on the run - 'where are they?'
17 Comments
沙田-2025 的豪华老人住宅公寓价格惊人便宜老年公寓 | 搜寻广告 立即搜索
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Migrant children, 6 and 9, crossed Channel alone - now parents want asylum in UK too
179 Comments
Keir Starmer just handed Nigel Farage an open goal that he can't possibly miss
243 Comments
香港无螺丝植牙费用揭晓：即日完成全口植牙，价格透明化！植牙 | 搜寻广告 立即搜索
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Dopey Yvette Cooper has lost the plot entirely with totally useless knife crime proposal
90 Comments
‘Homes for Hamas': Lee Anderson erupts as court ruling 'opens floodgates' to Gaza
589 Comments
高龄人士必看！香港离婚单身交友的全新天地网上约会 |搜寻广告 立即搜索
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Labour still doesn't get one major reason UK is being laughed at on world stage
166 Comments
Nigel Farage slams 'miserable' Rachel Reeves and calls for 'spirit of optimism'
65 Comments
离婚後如何重拾爱情?香港单身交友平台帮您实现梦想网上约会 |搜寻广告 立即搜索
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
'Spiking' to be outlawed with 10-year sentence after one in ten women victims
11 Comments
Labour civil was as Keir Starmer under fire with migrant failings exposed
182 Comments
Fury as Labour crime review chief says jailing criminals longer 'fails victims'
70 Comments
Failure to deport crook slammed as 'sick' and shows judges are 'protecting paedophiles'
135 Comments
Tories demand 'radical overhaul' of human rights laws to end migration madness
225 Comments
Zimbabwean paedophile allowed to stay in UK as he'd face 'hostility' back home
35 Comments
I'm a legal expert - this is why Baroness Carr was wrong to criticise Kemi Badenoch
44 Comments
Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway feels 'sick' as she details 'rage' on air
Comments
Soppy Starmer's answer to problems is kicking them into the long grass, says Carole Malone
58 Comments
Woman who failed 8 times to get asylum in UK finally succeeds after joining terror group
287 Comments
Keir Starmer under fire from top judge who proves exactly what's wrong with UK
130 Comments
Allowing asylum seeker to stay in the UK after joining a terror group branded 'sick joke'
74 Comments
Overcrowded prisons are no excuse to make our justice system a joke
18 Comments
Robert Jenrick fumes over grooming gang members on the run - 'where are they?'
17 Comments
Migrant children, 6 and 9, crossed Channel alone - now parents want asylum in UK too
179 Comments
Kensington Staff Spills The Tea About Meghan HarryDaily Sport X
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
SHAPE 健康及生命科学 Top-up DegreesSHAPE 才晋高等教育学院
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
香港最便宜的电动汽车： 2025 年最经济实惠的选择电动车 | 搜寻广告
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
2025 年的厨房新趋势（点击查看）厨房改建 | 搜寻广告
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Links Sponsored Links
Promoted Links Promoted Links
As of September, a third (6,518) of the 20,000 had been made available, according to the NAO.
Reasons behind delays include "unrealistic timelines" and overestimating the ability to get planning permission for three out of the six new prisons due to be built.
The plans are now expected to cost between ￡9.4billion and ￡10.1billion – least ￡4.2billion more than 2021 estimates amid a rise in construction prices, the report said.