Labour's knife crime farce exposed as shocking sentencing changes revealed

More than 2,000 thugs convicted of knife crime offences could dodge prison every year under Labour's hugely controversial sentencing reforms.

Under plans to reduce the pressure on prison capacity, killers and rapists will be let out early, while 43,000 criminals will avoid jail altogether.

And the Tories on Tuesday warned more than 2,000 criminals caught carrying knives, equivalent to 88% of such convictions, could avoid being sent to prison.

Hundreds more will serve just a third of their sentence behind bars, rather than at least half.

It comes after the Express revealed child sex abusers and paedophiles locked up for "some of the worst possible offences" could be let out after spending just a third of their jail term behind bars.

Dr Kieran Mullan, Shadow Justice Minister, said: "We have heard Labour Ministers talking tough on knife crime. In reality, they want to cut prison time for thousands of offenders caught carrying knives on our streets and let many of them avoid prison altogether.

"That is going to make our streets less safe and is not putting the safety of the public first. This is without even considering the knife wielding criminals convicted of attempted murder and serious assaults.

"We know half of attempted murderers and even more serious violent criminals will also be let out onto our streets sooner. Among them will be offenders that use knives to commit their crimes. Only the Conservatives will take knife crime seriously, make sure offenders serve the time they deserve, and put the safety of the public first."

Police recorded more than 51,000 knife crime offences in the year to June 2025. Almost 200 people were stabbed to death over those 12 months. And officers investigated 20,000 knife-enabled robberies.

While this is slightly lower than in previous years, many fear urgent action is needed after record-breaking increases. Labour's controversial sentencing reforms will see the majority of criminals let out after just a third of their sentence.

They will spend another third under house arrest and will only then be put on licence and let into the community. Criminals sentenced to more than four years behind bars will be let out after serving just half of their jail term, while punishments of less than 12 months will be abolished in most cases.

Most convicts will be tagged and electronically monitored as ministers try to avoid a repeat of the overcrowding crisis. Only the most extreme offenders will be refused the right to leave prison at the halfway point. Criminals will, for the first time, be tagged before they leave prison in a bid to prevent them wreaking havoc in communities.

Perverts caught making, distributing or publishing child sex abuse images and fiends jailed for sexual activity with a child could spend just a third of their sentence behind bars.

In total, 85 per cent of the most serious jailed offenders are included in the reductions - more than 6,500 of the most jailed serious offenders, including rapists, paedophiles, stalkers, violent attackers, and even attempted murderers, will qualify for early release.

The Sunday Express revealed 2,254 offenders were locked up for child sex offences last year. This included 167 perverts jailed for raping a female under 16.

Some 548 paedophiles jailed for taking, permitting, making, distributing or publishing indecent images of children will also spend less time behind bars. And 229 people convicted of sexual grooming could be allowed home sooner, figures show, if a similar number is jailed under the proposed new 'progression model'.

Another 200 offenders - aged over 18 - jailed for sexual activity involving a child under 16 - will spend less time in prison.

A staggering 104 people jailed for sexual activity with a child under 13, and 248 caged for sexually assaulting a girl under 13 could also benefit from the softest sentencing reforms in a generation.

A shocking 54 people locked up for raping a child under the age of 13 could also be let out earlier.

This means a staggering 82% of offenders convicted of child sex offences will receive a lighter sentence, when compared against last year's figures.