Recommendation 69

Pre-Sentence Reports produced by the Probation Service should include relevant information about the content, effectiveness, and availability of community sentences in the local area (see further conclusions and recommendations on Pre-Sentence Reports starting at paragraph 255 in Chapter 5). Such information should be updated regularly to keep sentencers informed. 17 Q 26 (Phil Bowen), see also Q 18 (Andrew Neilson) and Q 17 (Gavin Dingwall). 18 Written evidence from the Ministry of Justice ( JCS0013 ) 19 Q 31 (Tom Franklin) 20 Ibid. 21 Sentencing Act 2020, section 208(10) 22 Q 25 (Andrew Neilson) 23 HC Deb, 16 October 2023, c ol 60 24 Q 18 (Phil Bowen) 25 HC Deb, 16 October 2023, c ol 60 26 Q 25 (Phil Bowen) 27 Written evidence from Dr Hannah Graham ( JCS0006 ) 28 Q 17 (Gavin Dingwall) 29 Written evidence from Paul Doran ( JCS0035 ). See also written evidence from the Scottish Sentencing Council ( JCS0009 ) for similar opinion polls in Scotland. 30 According to the National Audit Office, “Prison capacity can be measured in two ways: uncrowded capacity is the number of prisoners a prison can hold while providing a good, decent standard of accommodation. This is known as Certified Normal Accommodation. Prisons holding more prisoners than this threshold are crowded. Operational capacity is the total number of prisoners that a prison can hold without risk to control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime.” See National Audit Office, Improving the prison estate (Session 2019–20, HC 41), 7 Feburuary 2020: https://www.nao.org.uk /wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Improving-the-prison-estate.pdf [accessed 24 October 2023]. 31 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ) 32 Ministry of Justice, ‘Population bulletin: weekly 13 October 2023’ (6 January 2023): https:// www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-population-figures-2023 [accessed 24 October 2023]. 33 Ministry of Justice, ‘Prison Population Projections 2022 to 2027, England and Wales’ (23 February 2023): https://www.gov.uk /government/statistics/prison-population-projections-2022-to-2027 [accessed 29 November 2023] 34 Ministry of Justice, Prisons Strategy White Paper , CP 581 (December 2021): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk /government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1038765/prisons-strategy -white-paper.pdf [accessed 29 November] 35 Written Answer 187206 , Session 2023–24 36 Letter from the Rt Hon Edward Argar MP, Minister of State for Justice to Sir Bob Neill MP (21 November 2023): https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/42350 /documents/210487/default/ 37 House of Commons Library, The Prison Estate in England and Wales, Research Briefing, SN05646 , 29 June 2023 38 HC Deb, 16 October 2023, c ol 60 39 Q 118 (Damian Hinds MP), see also Q 120 (Damian Hinds MP). 40 Written evidence from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons ( JCS0018 ) 41 HC Deb, 16 October 2023, c ol 60 42 Q 118 (Damian Hinds MP), see also Q 120 (Damian Hinds MP). 43 Q 46 (Lord Justice William Davis) and The Sentencing Council, The Effectiveness of Sentencing Options on Reoffending (30 September 2022): https://www.sentencingcouncil.org .uk/wp-content/uploads/Effectiveness-of-Sentencing-Options-Review-FINAL .pdf [accessed 26 October 2023] 44 Ministry of Justice, Proven reoffending statistics quarterly bulletin, July to September 2021 (July 2021): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads /attachment_data/file/1173906/PRSQ_Bulletin_July_to_September_2021 .pdf [accessed 10 October 2023] 45 Q 20 (Gavin Dingwall) 46 Q 20 (Gavin Dingwall) 47 Q 108 (Jenny George) and supplementary written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0042 ). 48 Q 20 (Gavin Dingwall) 49 Q 109 (Jenny George) 50 Written evidence from Dr Jay Gormley, Dr Louise Kennefick and Professor Melissa Hamilton ( JCS0028 ) 51 Written evidence from Revolving Doors ( JCS0016 ), see also Q 110 (Dr Juste Abramovaite). 52 Written evidence from the Prison Reform Trust ( JCS0019 ) 53 HC Deb, 16 October 2023, col 60 54 Q 16 (Justin Russell) 55 Q 4 (Justin Russell) 56 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ), Revolving Doors ( JCS0016 ), Q 106 (Dr Juste Abramovaite) and Q 122 (Damian Hinds MP). 57 Q 18 (Gavin Dingwall) 58 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ). Post-release supervision was made compulsory for those serving short-term custodial sentences by the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014 . See also Q 106 (Jenny George) 59 Q 112 (Dr Juste Abramovaite) 60 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ) and Q 18 (Andrew Neilson and Phil Bowen). 61 Q 114 (Jenny George) 62 Letter from Rt. Hon. Damian Hinds MP, Minister of State for Justice, to Baroness Hamwee, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee (17 October 2023): https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/41868/documents/207632/default 63 Q 114 (Jenny George and Dr Juste Abramovaite) 64 Q 104 (Jenny George) 65 Written evidence from Paul Doran ( JCS0035 ) 66 Q 104 (Dr Juste Abramovaite), see also Q 27 (Gavin Dingwall) and written evidence from Dr Juste Abramovaite ( JCS0046 ) 67 QQ 108–109 (Dr Juste Abramovaite) 68 Q 72 (Kim Thornden-Edwards) 69 Ibid. 70 Q 24 (Phil Bowen) 71 Q 122 (Damian Hinds MP) 72 Written evidence from Greater Manchester Combined Authority ( JCS0044 ), the Probation Board for Northern Ireland ( JCS0043 ), Q 52 (Courtney Bryan) and Q 24 (Phil Bowen) 73 Written evidence from the Ministry of Justice ( JCS0013 ) 74 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ) 75 Written evidence from the Probation Board for Northern Ireland ( JCS0043 ) 76 Written evidence from the Ministry of Justice ( JCS0013 ). A ‘summary’ offence can be heard only before a Magistrates’ Court. An ‘indictable only’ offence can be heard only before a Crown Court. A ‘triable either-way’ offence can be heard either before a Magistrates’ Court or before a Crown Court. 77 Written evidence from the Ministry of Justice ( JCS0013 ) 78 Written evidence from the Probation Institute ( JCS0015 ) 79 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ) 80 Q 45 (Lord Justice William Davis) , see also written evidence from the Ministry of Justice ( JCS0013 ). 81 Q 118 (Damian Hinds MP) 82 Ibid. 83 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ) 84 Written evidence from Women in Prison ( JCS0030 ) 85 Written evidence from the Prison Reform Trust ( JCS0019 ) 86 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ) 87 Q 45 (Lord Justice William Davis) 88 Written evidence from Dr Matthew Cracknell ( JCS0014 ) 89 Justice Committee, The future of the probation service (Eighteenth Report, Session 2019–21, HC 285) 90 HC Deb, 11 June 2020, cols 425–438 91 Justice Committee, The future of the probation service 92 Q 32 (Tom Franklin) 93 Q 45 (Lord Justice William Davis) 94 Written evidence from the National Audit Office ( JCS0039 ) 95 Written evidence from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners ( JCS0020 ) 96 Q 3 (Justin Russell) 97 Q 3 (Justin Russell) 98 Letter from Rt. Hon. Damian Hinds MP, Minister of State for Justice, to Baroness Hamwee, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee (17 October 2023): https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/41868/documents/207632/default , see also Q 106 (Damian Hinds MP). The Judicial Engagement Charter is published as supplementary written evidence from HM Prison and Probation Service ( JCS0047 ). 99 Q 72 (Chris Jennings) 100 Q 3 (Justin Russell) and Q 72 (Chris Jennings) 101 Letter from Rt. Hon. Damian Hinds MP, Minister of State for Justice, to Baroness Hamwee, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee (17 October 2023): https://committees.parliament. uk/publications/41868/documents/207632/default 102 Q 72 (Kim Thornden-Edwards) 103 Q 34 (Tom Franklin), see also Q 3 (Justin Russell) and Q 22 (Phil Bowen). 104 Q 3 (Justin Russell) 105 Q 72 (Chris Jennings), see also Q 49 (Lord Justice William Davis), Q 56 (Dr Eoin Guilfoyle), and Q 56 (Courtney Bryan). 106 Q 3 (Justin Russell) 107 Q 49 (Lord Justice William Davis), see also Q 72 (Chris Jennings). 108 Q 18 (Gavin Dingwall) 109 Justice Committee, Public opinion and understanding of sentencing (Tenth Report, Session 2022–23, HC 305) 110 Written evidence from the Ministry of Justice ( JCS0013 ) 111 Written evidence from Revolving Doors ( JCS0016 ) 112 Written evidence from NAPO ( JCS0021 ) < Back Next > © Parliamentary copyright 2023 A-Z index Glossary Contact us Freedom of Information Jobs Using this website Copyright Privacy notice Cookie policy Cookie Manager House of Lords - Cutting crime: better community sentences - Justice and Home Affairs Committee Cutting crime: better community sentences Contents Chapter 3: Tailoring sentences to the individual