Transform Justice reposted this
🎧 https://pod.fo/e/27f470 ➡️Sentencing review panel member Nicky Padfield says revitalising probation is crucial to making community orders more appealing to judges & magistrates. And more community orders = fewer short prison sentences! 🎧Hear more from Nicky - listen to the full episode here: https://pod.fo/e/27f470 The Magistrates' Association Sentencing Council for England and Wales Cambridge Faculty of Law David Gauke Clinks Criminal Justice Alliance Russell Webster Penelope Gibbs Rob Allen
I’m not sure. Magistrates and judges could just impose more probation orders and just as many prison sentences. There lots of evidence that unless you put controls on sentences they simply up-tariff everyone. More probation does not mean less prison, it just means more probation. Which can lead to more breaches and more prison.
Interesting that only sec of state who tried to control the probation service’s propensity to breach for trivial issues was Liz Truss, and probation just ignored her pleas.
Visiting Fellow at University of South Wales
3moThat is right, but only if measures are included to prevent net widening, otherwise there can even be an increase in custody due to sentencing on breach. "Prisons and the Process of Justice" Rutherford is old now but still relevant. Durnescu has also published more recently on net widening. The Probation Service also needs to regain its lost role as a trusted advisor to court, always on hand when needed pre sentence.