• Convicted criminals may face bans from pubs, concerts, and sports events under new UK legislation.
• Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood emphasizes that crime must be punished even outside prison.
• New rules set to expand judges' powers to enforce community sentences and travel restrictions.

Under proposed new legislation by the UK government, convicted criminals may be banned from attending pubs, music concerts, and sports events like soccer matches. The aim is to combat the country's overwhelming prison overcrowding issue. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated, "When criminals break society's rules, they must be punished," emphasizing the necessity of imposing restrictions even on those serving community sentences, according to Reuters and SCMP.

The new sentencing powers would enable judges to impose a variety of restrictions such as travel bans, driving limits, and confinement to defined zones. These measures are designed to help offenders return "back onto the straight-and-narrow," as stated by the government. Current laws already permit soccer match bans for crimes committed in stadiums, but the new legislation would extend this to any offense, according to Jakarta Post and India Times.

Additionally, all prisoners being released and under the supervision of the Probation Service could face these restrictions, including mandatory drug testing that extends beyond those with a history of substance misuse. The proposed reforms are part of broader efforts to manage the crisis within the UK's prison system, which has the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe. "These new punishments should remind all offenders that crime does not pay," Mahmood remarked, as reported by Reuters, SCMP, and India Times.