Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Prolific Offenders

Tuesday 28 January 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial questions addressed issues related to prolific offenders and sentencing strategies.
  • The Lord Chancellor acknowledged the need for an independent sentencing review to address career criminals and high-crime offenders.
  • The Government committed to publishing an assessment of GPS tagging before or alongside the sentencing review for transparency.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Richard Holden Con Basildon and Billericay
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The situation where 10% of offenders account for 50% of all offences, blighting communities. The Policy Exchange report suggests mandatory two-year sentences for hyper-prolific offenders.

Question

I believe in second chances, but the Policy Exchange report found that hyper-prolific offenders—those with more than 45 previous convictions—are sent to prison on fewer than half of occasions they are convicted of a subsequent indictable or either-way offence. Given their high number of crimes affecting least affluent constituents, what consideration have the Government given to the report’s recommendations, particularly on introducing a mandatory two-year sentence for hyper-prolific offenders?

Answer from Shabana Mahmood (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

I agree that we need a specific strategy for dealing with prolific offenders, but different organisations use different definitions of what counts as a prolific offender or hyper-prolific offender. I have asked David Gauke to look specifically at this cohort of offenders in the independent sentencing review. The point is to think about interventions that will make the biggest difference so we can cut crime and have fewer victims.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific recommendation for a mandatory two-year sentence was not addressed

How: Referral To Independent Review

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Q2 Katie Lam Con Weald of Kent
Justice & Courts
Context

The situation where less than 10% of criminals account for nearly half of crime, leading to a need for sentencing review.

Question

The Lord Chancellor rightly says that less than 10% of criminals account for nearly half of crime. A sentencing review is under way, but any decisions are for Ministers to make. Will the right hon. Lady please rule out here and now any possibility of allowing career criminals to avoid prison, even for short sentences?

Answer from Shabana Mahmood (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

I am not going to pre-empt any findings of the sentencing review. The point of having an independent review is to look at all issues in the round, particularly concerning people who commit a high number of crimes. I am keen to think about interventions that could make the biggest difference so we can reduce this blight on communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ruling out of allowing career criminals to avoid prison was not addressed

How: Referral To Independent Review

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Q3 Kieran Mullan Con Bexhill and Battle
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The Department has been undertaking its own assessment of the effectiveness of GPS tagging.

Question

As mentioned, David Gauke’s review could consider wider use of GPS tagging and home curfew. Will the Government commit to publishing the Department's own assessment of GPS tagging before or alongside the sentencing review?

Answer from Shabana Mahmood (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

I will ensure transparency in the Government’s approach when it comes to not just emergency releases data, but other information that underpins future policy choices. This includes ensuring the GPS tagging review is published.

Answered
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Q4 Kieran Mullan Con Bexhill and Battle
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The Department is considering other measures beyond building prisons to address the prison capacity crisis.

Question

In Ministers’ discussions of these issues, they risk losing sight of imprisonment’s role in punishing offenders for justice. How will the Government decide whether David Gauke’s proposals sufficiently punish offenders?

Answer from Shabana Mahmood (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

I believe in punishment and prison. Prison has a core role to play in the punishment of offenders, but we must balance this with interventions that expand the use of punishment outside prison. We will build more prison places than the previous Government left us.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific decision-making process for ensuring sufficient punishment was not addressed

How: Referral To Balance Between Punishment And Other Interventions

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