February 8, 2008: Straw Supports Community Sentences

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has given his commitment to offer more community sentences that provide effective punishment and rehabilitation for offenders, benefiting communities whilst reducing reoffending.

He was visiting a community payback project to see offenders sentenced by community justice courts carry out unpaid work. This visit follows last week's announcement that the Ministry of Justice will be spending an extra £13.9 million on a number of intensive alternative to custody projects over the next three years. Under the Community Payback scheme local residents are able to make suggestions and nominate work they would like carried out by offenders in their local area.

Speaking at the visit Jack Straw said,

'Rigorous community sentences that effectively address offenders' behaviour get right to the heart of the offending. The sentences provide punishment and restrict liberty for individuals in order to address patterns of behaviour in often chaotic lifestyles.

'It makes sense to use the sanction which is ultimately most effective in terms of cutting re-offending. For many offenders, community-based punishments are proven to be more effective at reducing re-offending than short term prison sentences. I was pleased to announce last week that we will fund six new intensive alternatives to custody projects with investment of £13.9 million over the next three years.

'Last year over six million hours of compulsory unpaid work was carried out by offenders who have received a community order in England and Wales. This is the equivalent of £33 million that has benefited local communities across the country.

'Prison is the right place for the most serious and violent offenders but there are currently people in prison who would be better rehabilitated and therefore less likely to reoffend - elsewhere, including those with mental health issues and vulnerable women so we must ensure that courts have tough community sentences at their disposal to deal with less serious, non violent offenders. It is of course vital we ensure there are prison places for those serious and dangerous offenders who ought to be in prison and as can be seen here today we are delivering effective community sentences, sentences that benefit local people.'

The intensive community sentences pilot will begin in Derbyshire in March, and will include a combination of unpaid work, electronic monitoring, behaviour programmes, mentoring, and help with resettlement, all under intensive supervision. These projects are designed to strengthen existing use of current legislation to maximise the use of the community order, especially in those cases where the Probation Service believes a community sentence may be more beneficial.

In 2006-07 the National Probation Service had its best performance year with the highest ever rates of enforcement, record numbers of offenders completed accredited programmes and unpaid work, and more offenders starting and completed drug rehabilitation than in any previous year.

The community order, introduced in the Criminal Justice Act 2003, gives sentencers the flexibility they need to tailor community sentences to the offence and the offender. Within the community order, there are a number of very demanding requirements such as regular drug testing, treatment and monitoring under the Drug Rehabilitation Requirement to more punitive elements such as curfews and physically demanding working in the community under the unpaid work requirement.