Fewer criminals would see the inside of a jail cell under the Green Party's plans for power – which instead encourage crooks to 'make amends' to their victims.
In an internal policy document seen by the Daily Mail, the Greens would grant the fraction of violent felons who are sent to jail the right to vote, put them up in their own rooms and let them pursue artistic and creative hobbies whilst behind bars.
The Green drive to keep criminals on the streets comes on the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election – where the party hopes to return a fifth MP to Parliament.
In the latest reveal of the Greens' policy plans, Zack Polanski's party is pushing for 'restorative justice': encouraging offenders to 'make amends' to their victims to prevent 'further harm' to the offender.
The Daily Mail has this week unearthed Green plans to legalise prostitution and hand illegal migrants a free house, a wage and NHS care.
Their 'Crime and Justice' policy explains: 'We support the principle of 'restorative justice', which deals constructively with both the victim and the offender'.
Restorative justice could include 'service or payment to the community' or taking part in 'vocational training, counselling, therapy, problem solving and other ways of overcoming disadvantage' to 'encourage the offender to avoid offending again'.
The Greens would also give offenders the chance to hash things out with their victims in special 'Mediation Centres'.
And where an offender of property-related crimes doesn't have the means to pay victims back – victims who cannot afford insurance and are on benefits – the Greens are considering having UK taxpayers foot the bill. In this scenario, taxpayers would pay if no offender has been convicted.
The Green Party calls for lists of defined crimes to be kept 'as short as possible', with criminals only sent to jail if there is 'a substantial risk of a further grave crime' or if offences have caused such public alarm that the offenders' presence in the community would 'constitute a threat to his/her own safety'.
If locked up, however, criminals will have access to 'meaningful activities', such as education and arts facilities. Where possible offenders would be detained near their family and friends.
While Magistrates' courts and the Crown Court both currently have the power to sentence criminals to a jail term, under the Greens' plans to drive down prison populations, the Crown Court alone would have the power to lock up criminals.
The Greens also call for existing women's prisons to be replaced with 'small, multi-functional custodial centres', and for under 18s to no longer be kept in custody.
Zack Polanski's party would drive for greater diversity among police ranks – including people from 'black and ethnic minorities, different sexual orientations, various faiths, trans people, and other social and cultural backgrounds'.
The Greens are also pledging to 'ultimately end hate crime' and to end stop and search.
Nick Timothy, Shadow Justice Secretary, said the Green Party 'wants Britain to become a lawless and dangerous place'.
'The justice system must protect the innocent, punish the guilty, and uphold the rule of law. That means locking up more criminals for longer. But the Greens want to do the exact opposite.'
The Green Party pointed to its 2024 manifesto in response to a request for comment.
