Urgent investment needed to make sentencing reform succeed

News

All parts of the criminal justice system need to be properly resourced if radical sentencing reforms are to succeed, says the Law Society of England and Wales.

The Sentencing Bill has its second reading in the House of Commons on 16 September.

“We recognise the urgent need for radical reform to reduce court backlogs, prevent reoffending and create much-needed space in prisons,” said Law Society president Richard Atkinson.

“We broadly support this Bill and welcome its focus on maximising the use of suspended and deferred sentences, both of which we have long called for.

“The prison estate is dangerously close to crisis, partly because so many individuals are serving prison sentences instead of community sentences, which may be more effective at reducing reoffending.

“However, for the new legislation to be effective there must be sustained investment across the entire criminal justice system. All parts of this vital public service are interconnected and failure to invest in one part will be detrimental to the whole.

“We welcome the focus on preventing reoffending but it’s not all about close supervision. Prisoners need to be equipped to re-enter society. It is crucial that prisoners can access education courses while in custody to help prepare them for release and reduce the risk of reoffending.”

The Law Society is also calling for the review of the children’s custody release scheme to proceed urgently in order to avoid disadvantaging young offenders.

“A focus on adult sentencing to manage prison capacity must not exclude children from early release, which risks disproportionately longer custodial terms for them compared with adults serving similar sentences,” added Richard Atkinson.

Notes to editors

Learn more about the Sentencing Bill.