Covid-style lockdowns proposed for criminals in England, Wales

UNITED KINGDOM: Conditions similar to Covid lockdowns should be imposed on criminals as an alternative to overflowing prisons, barristers have told the government.

In an official submission to an ongoing sentencing review led by former Conservative justice secretary David Gauke, the Bar Council called for consideration of more “creative use of punishment”. Ideas put forward by the body, which represents barristers in England and Wales, include enhanced home detention measures for non-violent offenders and “part-time prisons” that would help inmates reintegrate into society.

“A greater use of 20-hour curfews as a direct alternative to custody would have a variety of benefits,” says a document submitted to the review. “It may be that similar restrictions to those imposed during the Covid-related lockdowns could be introduced as punitive measures.”

The Bar Council said that laws already existed to ban offenders from pubs, sports grounds and social events, which could “constitute a significant deprivation of liberty” without putting them in jail.

It also urged the government to look for inspiration to Sweden, where inmates can be released for set periods between several hours and several days to visit family, complete education courses and look for work.

The body said a form of part-time prison could be designed for low-risk offenders who have not committed violent crimes, allowing them to work, train and maintain family ties while preparing them for release.