THE government is planning to introduce its proposed new legislation restricting short sentences and strengthening community punishments within weeks.

The measures, aimed at easing the crisis in prison places, will include a Texan-style earned release scheme allowing convicts who demonstrate good behaviour to be freed earlier.

Ministers are expected to present the new legislation to the Commons after the summer recess.

Under the plans, most sentences of less than 12 months will be abolished, except in exceptional circumstances such as domestic abuse cases, and convicts who demonstrate good behaviour will serve less time behind bars.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Without further action, we will run out of prison places in months, courts would halt trials and the police cancel arrests.

“That is why, as part of our plan for change, we are overhauling sentencing to make sure we always have the prison places needed to keep the country safe.”

The dire shortage of prison capacity has also led the government to explore alternatives to custody.