Member

The Bill reflects not a shift away from short custodial sentences but a large step towards their complete abolition. Suspended sentences are now presumed for offences of up to 12 months, and their eligibility is extended to offences of up to three years. Under this Bill, around 43,000 offenders, some of whom are violent criminals, will avoid prison entirely. Police estimates suggest that the Bill will produce an immediate 6% rise in crime. That amounts to nearly 400,000 additional offences per year. That is the immediate rise; clearly, that will have an effect on the public and the community at large.