sentences

Breaking the cycle: effective punishment, rehabilitation and sentencing of offenders

The safety and security of the law-abiding citizen is a key priority of the coalition government. Everyone has a right to feel safe in their home and in their community. When that safety is threatened, those responsible should face a swift and effective response. People rely on the criminal justice system to deliver that response: punishing offenders, protecting the public, and reducing reoffending.

'Prove me the bam!’: victimisation and agency in the lives of young women who commit violent offences

This article reviews the evidence regarding young women’s involvement in violent crime and, drawing on recent research carried out in HMPYOI Cornton Vale in Scotland, provides an overview of the characteristics, needs and deeds of young women sentenced to imprisonment for violent offending. Through the use of direct quotations, the article suggests that young women’s anger and aggression is often related to their experiences of family violence and abuse, and the acquisition of a negative worldview in which other people are considered as being ‘out to get you’ or ‘put one over on you’.

Shadow writing and participant observation: a study of criminal justice social work around sentencing

The study of decision-making by public officials in administrative settings has been a mainstay of law and society scholarship for decades. The methodological challenges posed by this research agenda are well understood: how can socio-legal researchers get inside the heads of legal decision-makers in order to understand the uses of official discretion?

In the dark : the mental health implications of Imprisonment for Public Protection

Imprisonment for Public Protection is an indeterminate sentence given to offenders who are categorised as 'dangerous' but whose offences do not carry a life sentence. This report presents the findings of research carried out on the mental health of IPP prisoners and makes recommendations to address problems identified.

Community sentences degest report (second edition)

The report provides good quality objective information about the way community sentences are used, key facts and figures relating to trends in their use, and information about the multiple needs of adult offenders serving community sentences. It is a vital resource for anybody interested in alternatives to custody. The report is part of the Community Sentences project of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies which was set up to investigate and monitor the Community Order and Suspended Sentence Order introduced in the Criminal Justice Act 2003.