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[POLITICS] · United Kingdom · 3 sources

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UK Sentencing Act 2026 allows serious offenders to avoid prison

Sentencing Act 2026 prison overcrowding Labour Party criminal sentencing UK justice system

The Sentencing Act 2026, introduced to address prison overcrowding, has led to serious offenders avoiding custodial sentences. Under the new law, almost all sentences of 12 months or less are suspended, allowing individuals convicted of crimes such as possessing child abuse images, historical abuse, or domestic violence to remain in the community.

David Lammy, who succeeded Shabana Mahmood as Justice Secretary, defended the policy, stating it would make the country safer by keeping low-level offenders in the community where prison is less effective. However, reports indicate that serious criminals are being released. In one notable case, 34-year-old Callum Powell avoided prison after a guilty plea reduced his 18-month sentence for possessing nearly 3,000 indecent images of children—including 178 Category A images—to exactly 12 months.

District Judge Amanda Kelly noted that while the offences were abhorrent and only a custodial sentence was justified, judges must follow the laws enacted by Parliament. The policy has drawn criticism for its impact on public safety and follows previous scrutiny regarding Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s handling of early prisoner release schemes.

Entities

Andy Burnham · Callum Powell · David Lammy · Ministry of Justice · Shabana Mahmood

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What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

Sources

Paedophiles will avoid jail under Labour's new sentencing laws [www.gbnews.com]
about 4 hours ago
Paedophiles avoid jail under Labour’s sentencing law change [ca.news.yahoo.com]
about 12 hours ago
Paedophiles avoid jail under Labour’s sentencing law change [uk.news.yahoo.com]
about 12 hours ago