GOVERNMENT plans to jail repeat shoplifters are “remarkably short-sighted” as they will pile further pressure on “already chronically overcrowded prisons,” campaigners warned today.

Tougher sentences for several offences are being considered for inclusion in the Crime and Justice Bill planned for the King’s speech on November 7, according to reports.

A government source said the trigger for a custodial sentence for repeat shoplifting could be set between 10 and 20 instances, with a lower threshold for more serious crimes such as knife crime, burglary, theft and common assault.

Legal experts have warned that mandatory sentences would exacerbate record court backlogs and prison overcrowding. 

Revolving Doors chief executive Pavan Dhaliwal said: “It is remarkably short-sighted, to say the least, that the government’s proposed solution to low-level crimes driven primarily by poverty lies in sending even more people to already chronically overcrowded prisons.

“Evidence has long shown that short prison sentences not only fail to address the root causes of criminal behaviour but rather exacerbate these drivers at huge cost to the individual and their families, as well as the public purse — sending someone to prison for a year costs almost £47,000.”

Locking up individuals for shoplifting in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis “simply ignores the underlying problems which are forcing some individuals to make desperate choices to survive,” Ms Dhaliwal said.

“Instead, we should prioritise addressing the root causes of the crime, namely poverty, by investing in education, skills training and employment opportunities to empower those at risk of engaging in criminal activities.

“Put simply, people need to be diverted to services to be supported, not processed through a justice system already on its knees.”

Policing Minister Chris Philp is reportedly also urging police forces to make greater use of live facial recognition technology to catch shoplifters.