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Criminals in Britain could soon after release from prison be barred from pubs, concerts and sports matches under new sentencing powers unveiled Sunday as part of the government’s crime-reduction strategy.
The measures, announced by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, will allow judges to impose restrictions such as driving limits, travel bans and geographic exclusion zones designed to confine offenders to specific areas once they are out.
Officials said the changes are intended to toughen community punishments, deter repeat offending and reinforce probation supervision after prison. Mandatory drug testing will also be expanded to cover offenders without known histories of substance abuse, rather than just those with past drug problems.
“Widening the range of punishments available to judges is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer,” Mahmood said. “When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished. Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there too.”
Mahmood said the new punishments should remind offenders that “under this Government, crime does not pay.”
Offenders who violate the new rules could be sent back to court or returned to prison, depending on their sentences. Currently, judges can issue limited bans—such as football match bans for stadium offenses—but the proposed reforms would make such restrictions available for any crime.
The plan forms part of wider reforms to ensure sentencing reduces crime while accommodating a rising prison population. More than 2,400 prison places have opened since July 2024, with a total of 14,000 planned under a ÂŁ7 billion ($9.45 billion) investment program.
Probation services are also set for a budget increase of up to £700 million ($945 million) by 2028–29, on top of the current £1.6 billion ($2.16 billion) annual allocation. The Ministry of Justice said the number of probation officers grew 7 percent over the past year, with trainee recruitment up 15 percent. The government aims to recruit 1,300 additional officers this year.
Authorities also plan to introduce new technology, including artificial intelligence, to reduce paperwork for probation staff and free up resources for supervising high-risk offenders.
