UK government could introduce new laws to bar Criminals in England and Wales from pubs, sports grounds and concerts under new government plans, aimed at giving judges powers to impose tougher community sentences.Secretary of state for justice Shabana Mahmood said “should remind all offenders that, under this government, crime does not pay.”“I am clear that if you break our laws, for whatever crime, you should lose your liberty – whether you are serving your sentence inside prison, or outside it. That’s why this Government will give courts new powers to hand down tough community sentences that restrict the freedoms of offenders outside of jail too”, Mirror UK reported. The proposals would expand restrictions on offenders’ freedom to include driving limits, travel bans and confinement to specific zones. The rules could also apply to prisoners released on licence, with drug testing extended to all those leaving prison, not only those with prior substance misuse. Currently, judges can impose limited bans linked to specific offences, such as football banning orders for crimes inside stadiums. The new plan would allow such bans to be applied to any offence. “When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished. These new punishments should remind all offenders that crime does not pay,” Mahmood said, stressing that the public expects the government to do “everything in its power to keep Britain safe.” The measures are part of Labour’s wider push to tackle prison overcrowding. In June, the government began transferring inmates to lower security jails to ease pressure on the system. Earlier this month, Sky News reported that the prison system had been close to collapse several times between autumn 2023 and summer 2024. The review pointed to a systemic problem causing recurring capacity crises over the last 18 years.
