Former Tory minister David Gauke will lead a review of prison sentences

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will appoint former Conservative justice minister David Gauke to lead the prison sentence review, the BBC has confirmed.

The Labor Party said in its general election manifesto that it would institute a sentencing review “to ensure it is brought up to date”.

The BBC reported earlier this month that Gauke was the front runner leading the review.

His appointment is expected to be announced by Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood on Tuesday.

Gauke served as Minister of Justice under Theresa May from January 2018 to July 2019.

He subsequently broke with the Conservative Party over Brexit and unsuccessfully ran as an independent candidate in the 2019 general election. He rejoined the Conservative Party in July.

Gauke has previously suggested that prison sentences of less than six months should be scrapped.

The prisons minister, Lord Timpson, has also previously argued that the prison population is too large.

As well as scrapping short sentences, the review is also expected to consider tightening community rules as an alternative to prison.

Community Orders can include forcing someone to participate in rehabilitation programs or to do unpaid work for the environment, such as removing graffiti.

Someone who is given a community order may also face restrictions on where they live or where they can go.

Several government sources have pointed to technological advances, such as sobriety tags that monitor alcohol consumption, that could be used more widely to detain criminals at home.

Ministers are also exploring international examples of reducing crime in Texas and Louisiana, where prisoners can reduce their sentences by earning points for good behaviour.

The evaluation is expected to make recommendations in the spring.

Since coming to power in July, the government has suffered severe overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales.

One of Labor’s first acts after winning the election was to implement an early release scheme established by the previous government.

Under the scheme, prisoners can be released once they have served 40% of their sentence, instead of 50%, as was previously the case.

The government has said offenders convicted of violent crimes with sentences of at least four years, sex offenders and domestic violence were ineligible.

Last month, 1,700 prisoners were released under the plan and another 1,100 will be released on Tuesday.

The policy will be reviewed in 18 months.

The government has defended the plan, saying it has “inherited prisons in crisis and on the brink of collapse”.

“If that had happened, the courts would not be able to hold trials and the police would not be able to make arrests,” a government spokesman added.

The Conservatives have said the government “poorly managed” the plan, causing “serious public concern” about the process.