Calls for ‘soft sentencing’ to be avoided at courts from North West Norfolk MP James Wild

James Wild has urged the Justice Secretary not to adopt “soft sentencing policies” amid growing court backlogs.

The North West Norfolk MP has raised concern for the potential adoption of these policies in the UK following MP Shabana Mahmood's recent visit to Texas.

During Justice questions in Parliament, he pressed Ms Mahmood on how the Government plans to address the growing court backlog while ensuring offenders serve their sentences.

With the crown court system under increasing pressure and a record-high backlog of 73,000 cases as of September 2024, Mr Wild highlighted concerns over the adequacy of Government efforts to address delays.

Despite increased funding and additional court sitting days, he questioned whether these measures would be enough to resolve the backlog - and the Justice Secretary has admitted the backlog will grow.

Mr Wild has been a consistent supporter of tougher sentences that punish offenders while also rehabilitating them.

He successfully campaigned for amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill to give judges new powers to compel offenders to attend sentencing hearings for serious crimes punishable by 14 years or more, although this legislation fell before last year’s general election.

Mr Wild said: "Despite this announcement, the backlog will increase. When cases do go to court, it is important that offenders serve the sentence they are given.

“Following the Lord Chancellor’s trip to Texas, where some prisoners serve as little as 25% of their sentence, will she rule out adopting such a soft sentencing policy?"

In response, Ms Mahmood said: "The Texans had similar problems to those we face today, but they had theirs 20 years or so ago.

“Their system of good behaviour credits incentivises offenders to engage in rehabilitation activity and to get help for their drug addictions, alcohol problems, mental health issues and so on.

“If offenders engage with that system and get their good behaviour credits, they can earn their way to an earlier parole hearing.

“It is the definition of a tough system, because it says to offenders, ‘You have to do something good in order to earn the possibility of an earlier release’.

“It is a system that is well worth learning from, because the reoffending rates are very low compared with ours.

“One of the prisons I visited in Texas has a reoffending rate of 17%. I dream of that number for us in this country, because every time we bear down on reoffending, that is cutting crime. It is a strategy for making sure that we have fewer victims in the future.

“I hope that if whatever proposals we bring forward lead to a reduction in reoffending, the hon. Gentleman will back those proposals."

Mr Wild has also signalled his opposition to early prison releases, describing them as a “potential cover for introducing softer sentences” - and highlighted concerns about violent offenders and drug dealers being released early.

He has also called for greater use of electronic tagging and urged the Government to ensure courts impose maximum sentences as legislated by Parliament.