The Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA) and our members have broadly welcomed the ambition and direction of the Sentencing Review, and it is vital that the Sentencing Bill released yesterday delivers on the aims of safety, rehabilitation and reducing inequality. As we work through the complexities of the Bill it is still clear that, as our members have long evidenced and campaigned for, proper investment is needed in prison and probation services if reform is going to work. The positive aims of the Bill may be wasted if the whole sector is not empowered and resourced properly to co-create reform.
Some of our key reflections:
- Earned release, while appealing on paper, must be supported holistically with accessible education and rehabilitation prison services. If evaluation of release behaviour is not co-designed with lived experience and expert voice, the system will only worsen inequality for marginalised groups by punishing certain characteristics.
- Scrapping short sentences is welcome, and electronic tagging has great potential to provide alternatives, but it cannot replace community support for those at risk. The VCSE sector is vital in ensuring that those who are tagged are getting the help they need to reintegrate into society and thrive.
- The Justice Secretary’s ability to overrule Sentencing Council Guidelines may have dangerous unintended consequences. T The government needs to work with key voices, particularly those with lived experience, to ensure that fair justice is delivered for all.
We look forward to working with our members and the government to ensure that the opportunities presented by the Bill to create a more just and effective sentencing system are taken up and implemented.
