The United Kingdom has announced sweeping new sentencing powers that will see criminals banned from football matches, pubs, concerts, and even restricted from traveling under a set of toughened community punishments designed to curb reoffending.
The reforms, unveiled on Sunday, August 24, 2025, as part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s “Plan for Change,” will allow judges to impose far-reaching restrictions such as travel bans, driving limits, and geographical exclusion zones on offenders serving community sentences.
According to the government, the measures aim to reinforce accountability and ensure criminals who avoid prison still face meaningful consequences.
Wider Scope of Punishments
Currently, judges can only impose bans tied to specific crimes such as prohibiting football hooligans from attending matches.
Under the new plan, courts will be empowered to apply similar restrictions more broadly, regardless of the offence, ensuring punishment extends beyond traditional fines or community service.
“These new punishments should remind all offenders that, under this government, crime does not pay,” said Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood.
“Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there, too.
Rightly, the public expects us to do everything possible to keep Britain safe, and that is exactly what we are doing.”
Drug Testing and Probation Monitoring
The policy changes also expand supervision for offenders leaving prison.
Those under the Probation Service will face tighter restrictions, including mandatory drug testing not only for known addicts but also for offenders without prior drug histories.
The government said any offender who breaches these new conditions could be returned to court or sent back to prison, depending on their sentence.
Investment in Prisons and Probation
The new sentencing powers are being introduced alongside wider reforms to address the strain on Britain’s prisons.
Since July 2024, the government says over 2,400 new prison places have been opened, with £7 billion earmarked to create a total of 14,000 additional spaces as the prison population continues to rise.
The Probation Service is also receiving what officials describe as “the biggest investment in a generation,” with funding expected to increase by £700 million by 2028/29, up from the current £1.6 billion annual budget.
Recruitment has seen a boost as well: probation officer numbers rose by 7% in the past year, while trainee recruits grew by 15%.
The government pledged to hire 1,300 more probation staff this year, following the recruitment of 1,000 in 2024.
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Technology is also set to play a role, with the Ministry of Justice highlighting plans to deploy artificial intelligence tools to ease paperwork burdens and allow officers to focus more on supervising high-risk offenders.
“Keeping Communities Safe”
Officials argue the new measures will close loopholes in existing sentencing powers, prevent anti-social behaviour, and reassure the public that offenders cannot simply “walk free” after committing crimes.
“Crime damages communities, and when criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished,” Mahmood stressed.
The reforms will be tabled in Parliament in the coming months as part of the government’s wider overhaul of the justice system.