Police are preparing for a surge in crime that could see hundreds of thousands more offences committed in just one year, if Government prison sentence reforms go ahead.

Plans proposed under the Sentencing Bill to ease the prisons overcrowding crisis include limiting the use of short prison sentences, by using community sentences instead, and releasing convicted criminals earlier in their jail terms.

But police chiefs, who say they are supportive of efforts to reduce reoffending rates, say it could lead to a short term surge in crime of up to six per cent – or an estimated 396,000 more recorded offences. New Feature

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They also estimate that the extra strain on policing will cost £300m to £400m, but say it is currently “an unfunded

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