This briefing highlights the main areas of interest for T2A ahead of the Report stage of the Bill.

The T2A Alliance welcomes some of the reforms contained in within the LASPO Bill. However we are disappointed that the Bill contains no specific proposals to introduce systemic changes to improve the criminal justice system for young adults.

18–24 year olds account for just ten percent of the population, but they account for a third of those sentenced to prison each year, a third of the probation service case load, and a third of the total economic and social costs of crime. Half re-offend within a year of release from prison, which clearly shows an urgent need for reform to support young people in their transition to adulthood to move away from crime.

T2A welcome amendments that abolish ‘certain sentences for dangerous offenders’, including the indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP). However the Alliance does have some concerns with the proposed alternatives to the current system. In particular, that imposing mandatory sentences will remove the discretion of judges to take into account a young adult’s lack of maturity when handing down an appropriate sentence.