Parole Board backs short jail terms for ‘low-level’ terrorists

THE Parole Board has warned against giving longer prison sentences to terrorists amid fears it would raise risk of re-offending.

Instead the body said those convicted of lower-level terror offences should be forced to undertake de-radicalisation programmes in the community.

The Board, which decides which prisoners are safe to be released, is resisting calls for longer jail terms as the Sentencing Council prepares to publish new guidelines for judges on how to punish terrorists.

It warned that locking people up who have committed low-level terror crimes could lead to them become radicalised by others while inside jail. It did not state what a “low-level” terror offence would include.

A report by the Justice select committee, which detailed a number of responses to the Sentencing Council consultation, said the Board raised “concerns about radicalisation in prisons”, adding: “In the board’s assessment, there are concerns that increasing the penalties for less serious offenders will result in them becoming more likely to commit terrorist acts when they are released.”

Concerns have already been raised about the number of extremists in British jails and the Government has implemented a system of lockdown units for the most serious terror offenders to keep them away from other inmates.

The Sentencing Council published draft new guidelines in October on a host of terror offences in England and Wales. The new guidelines will keep the same maximum sentence of life with a minimum term of 40 years.

But the council is proposing that the sentencing range for the lowest level preparation of crimes is set at three to six years – compared with 21 months to five years under existing guidance.