Community sentences Flashcards
How does community sentence work
Community sentences can include carrying out between 40 and 300 unpaid hours of work, such as removing graffiti, clearing wasteland and decorating public place.
Advantages of community sentences
• Rehabilitation
Community sanctions mean that offenders can begin to deal with issues such as drug and alcohol addictions and make reparation to their community, whilst maintaining links with their families and employment.
Advantages of community sentence
• Economically
It is essentially cheaper because a prison place cost £40,000 a year in comparison.
Economic success of community sentence
In 2007, more than 6 million hours of compulsory unpaid work were carried out in communities in England and Wales by offenders who received a community order.
Supporters of community sentence
The Prison Reform Trust director Juliet Lyon said that ‘community sentences are almost 10% more effective than a short prison sentence at reducing reoffending.
Re-offending and community sentence
Positive
Adult offenders who are sentenced to a Community Punishment Order had the lowest re-offending rate (40%) compared with those sentenced to prison (66%).
Public perception of community sentence
The public may perceive community sentences as being too lenient. 60% of the public thinks that community sanctions are too soft or weak.
Re-offending and community sentence
Negative
35% of adults given a community sentence reoffend within a year
In favour of community sentencing
• Lower reoffending rates
Reoffending rates for people given community sentences are significantly lower than for offenders sentenced
In favour of community sentencing
• mental health
Community sentencing are much more effective than prison in addressing mental health or drugs problems
In favour of community sentencing
• integrated
Community sentencing encourage offenders to remain integrated into the community and to ‘give something back’
Against community sentence
• Less effective
Less effective than prison in deterring crime
Against community sentence
• Less public support
Less support from the public who see them as a ‘soft option’, which fails to provide proper retribution and punishment for offences
Against community sentence
• Lack of protection
It does not remove criminals from the wider population and thus does not protect the public
Success of community sentence
• Work done
In 2007, more than 6 million hours of compulsory unpaid work were carried out in communities in England and Wales by offenders who received a community order.
Advantage
• Visibility
Community sentences provide a visible demonstration of reparation to the community in which the offence took place and that the community is able to influence and to understand the nature and type of sentence performed.
Counter point of CS being a soft option
government are toughening up community sentences so every sentence contains a genuine punishment, including fines, unpaid work and strict curfews and exclusion zones
CS as a soft option
Currently, only two-thirds of community orders contain a punitive requirement.
Drug rehabilitation in CS
Those subject to drug rehabilitation orders face random testing for up to three years.
Advantage for low-risk offenders
Community sentences help low-risk offenders to rehabilitate themselves more effectively than a short spell in prison.
Success
• Completion
Official figures show about 65% of the 11,000 or so community orders handed down in England and Wales each month are completed in full or finish early because the offender makes good progress.
Failures
• Failed to finish
Offenders fail to finish the remaining 35%, often because they simply do not turn up, breach curfews, or are convicted of another offence.
Failures
• Missed community order
70% admit to having missed at least a day of community order, and those who breached their orders, less than half faced court action.
CS is not soft
• instant prison sentence
A breach of community sentence can essentially trigger an instant prison sentence
CS is not soft
• Curfews
many offenders given a community sentence must abide by strict curfews or prohibitions on who they can meet or what they can do.
