As the UK and other nations face up to the consequences of a rapidly increasing prison population, so the search for alternative approaches to punishment and dealing with offenders has become an increasingly urgent priority for British government policy and society as a whole. This book, a product of the Coulsfield Commission and written by the leading authorities in the field, provides a comprehensive and wide-ranging review of the range of issues associated with using the variety of noncustodial sanctions, examining experiences in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as England and Wales. The book will be essential reading not only for British government policy makers and criminal justice practitioners but for anyone with a professional or academic interest in prison, probation and the nature of societys response to wrong-doing. The chapters in the book cover such issues as trends in crime, victimization and punishment; sentencing frameworks; public opinion and community penalties;

In this book a group of leading authorities in the field address the key issues surrounding the future of sentencing in Britain, in the light particularly of the highly influential Halliday Report. These proposals for reform amount to the single most ambitious and comprehensive set of proposals for reconstituting the sentencing system of a common-law country, and include proposals to replace existing sentencing statutes, the establishment of a sentencing commission and sentencing guidelines, and the creation of a sentence review function in the judiciary. As well as addressing the major issues of the Halliday Report the chapters in this book go beyond this to explore the broader set of policy problems and implications which are raised, drawing upon experiences of reform in other jurisdictions and contexts, particularly that of the USA. This book will be essential reading for anybody with an interest in the future of sentencing or the future direction of the criminal justice system as a whole.

This book sets out to explore the role of community penalties in sentencing, arguing that the absence of a strong intellectual framework or underpinning has hampered their development in policy and practice. The research undertaken for this book involved asking people with a particular stake in criminal justice what the point of punishment was and what the courts were trying to achieve in sentencing offenders. It identifies the role of communication as crucial, and looks at ways in which 'communication' can be used to make punishment more constructive, exploring the role of restorative processes and considering the implications of the custody-community provisions in the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Reforming Community Penalties is a major contribution to penological theory and thinking about sentencing and role in criminal justice, and will be essential reading for all with a practitioner or academic interest in this subject. Its findings are likely to play a key role in aiding the development and practice of community penalties, and enabling them to command greater support, and to become a genuine alternative to the increasing use of custody in sentencing and punishment.

This book sets out to explore the role of community penalties in sentencing, arguing that the absence of a strong intellectual framework or underpinning has hampered their development in policy and practice. The research undertaken for this book involved asking people with a particular stake in criminal justice what the point of punishment was and what the courts were trying to achieve in sentencing offenders. It identifies the role of communication as crucial, and looks at ways in which 'communication' can be used to make punishment more constructive, exploring the role of restorative processes and considering the implications of the custody-community provisions in the Criminal Justice Act 2003. Reforming Community Penalties is a major contribution to penological theory and thinking about sentencing and role in criminal justice, and will be essential reading for all with a practitioner or academic interest in this subject. Its findings are likely to play a key role in aiding the development and practice of community penalties, and enabling them to command greater support, and to become a genuine alternative to the increasing use of custody in sentencing and punishment.

In this book a group of leading authorities in the field address the key issues surrounding the future of sentencing in Britain, in the light particularly of the highly influential Halliday Report. These proposals for reform amount to the single most ambitious and comprehensive set of proposals for reconstituting the sentencing system of a common-law country, and include proposals to replace existing sentencing statutes, the establishment of a sentencing commission and sentencing guidelines, and the creation of a sentence review function in the judiciary. As well as addressing the major issues of the Halliday Report the chapters in this book go beyond this to explore the broader set of policy problems and implications which are raised, drawing upon experiences of reform in other jurisdictions and contexts, particularly that of the USA. This book will be essential reading for anybody with an interest in the future of sentencing or the future direction of the criminal justice system as a whole.

Community penalties are punishments that, in the courts' sentencing tariff, come between imprisonment and fines. They include electronic tagging, supervised unpaid work, and compulsory participation by offenders in treatment programmes. Recent years have seen many changes in England in the field of community penalties. These have included the rapid development of accredited offending behaviour programmes, and some new court orders such as the Referral Order for juveniles, based on the principles of restorative justice. Organisationally, too, the year 2001 sees a major change with the establishment of the National Probation Service for England and Wales. Community Penalties: change and challenges addresses the key issues facing community penalties at this critical time. Topics covered include the recent history of community penalties, partnership work, cognitive behavioural approaches to changing offenders' behaviour (and the need to look beyond these), compliance theory, accountability to the public and to the victim, accommodating difference and diversity in the delivery of community penalties, the use of technology in community penalties, and community penalties and issues of public safety. Community Penalties: change and challenges brings together many leading authors in this field. Together, they provide an authoritative review of a vital field of public policy.

As the UK and many other western societies face up to the consequences of a rapidly increasing prison population, so the search for alternative approaches to punishment and dealing with offenders has become an increasingly urgent priority for government policy and society as a whole. This book reports the results of the research programme commissioned by the Coulsfield Inquiry into Alternatives to Prison, which was funded by the Esmee Fairbairn 'Rethinking Crime and Punishment' initiative. It is written by leading authorities in the field, and provides a comprehensive, authoritative and wide-ranging review of the range of issues associated with the use of noncustodial sanctions, examining experiences in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as England and Wales.

Community penalties are punishments that, in the courts' sentencing tariff, come between imprisonment and fines. They include electronic tagging, supervised unpaid work, and compulsory participation by offenders in treatment programmes.
Recent years have seen many changes in England in the field of community penalties. These have included the rapid development of accredited offending behaviour programmes, and some new court orders such as the Referral Order for juveniles, based on the principles of restorative justice. Organisationally, too, the year 2001 sees a major change with the establishment of the National Probation Service for England and Wales.
Community Penalties: change and challenges addresses the key issues facing community penalties at this critical time. Topics covered include the recent history of community penalties, partnership work, cognitive behavioural approaches to changing offenders' behaviour (and the need to look beyond these), compliance theory, accountability to the public and to the victim, accommodating difference and diversity in the delivery of community penalties, the use of technology in community penalties, and community penalties and issues of public safety.
Community Penalties: change and challenges brings together many leading authors in this field. Together, they provide an authoritative review of a vital field of public policy.