Recommendation 65

Revolving Doors told us that polling commissioned by them in 2022 “found that the majority of the public (65%) think that the reason why most people commit non-violent, low-level crimes is due to poverty, mental health issues, and problems with drugs and alcohol.” They went on to say that “the majority (58%) also believe that alternatives to prison should be found in these cases”. 111 The National Association of Probation Officers told us: “Greater understanding of the guidelines but also what a community sentence involves would enable the public and victims to not only understand why a sentence was handed down but may go some way to offering reassurances.” 112