Written Question·Ministry of Justice·UIN 119799

Prison Sentences: Gender

Tabled: 10 March 2026
Answered: 16 March 2026

Question

James McMurdock

Independent — South Basildon and East Thurrock

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of gender on (a) custodial sentence length and (b) rates of reoffending.

Answer

Jake Richards
Sentencing decisions are a matter for the courts, which must follow statutory sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council, unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.Those guidelines are gender‑neutral, requiring court...
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