Community Sentences Project
The introduction of the Community Order and Suspended Sentence order in the 2003 Criminal Justice Act, on paper at least, radically reconfigured community sentences in England and Wales. CCJS's Community Sentences Project independently assessed the use and impact of these orders during their first three years of operation. The 3 year project was funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
The project produced seven publications focusing on key aspects of the new orders. This includes a summary of facts and figures about the orders use, sentencers views and attitudes towards the new orders, the use of the orders for women and young adults, and a final report exploring the experiences of probation officers and those subject to orders.
Publications
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- The Community Order and the Suspended Sentence Order three years on: The views and experiences of probation officers and offenders by George Mair and Helen Mills, March 2009
Based on an analysis of government data on the use of the two orders, and interviews with probation staff and those subject to the orders, this report assesses the impact of the two new orders three years on from their implementation. As the final publication in the series the report also sums up the overall conclusions of the Community Sentences project. - Community Sentences Digest by Enver Solomon and Arianna Silvestri (2nd Edition), November 2008
The Community Sentences Digest aims to address the gap in information available about community sentences and the offenders who serve them. It provides a wide range of facts and figures about trends in the use of the sentences over the last decade as well as the latest official data about Community Orders and Suspended Sentence Orders. In effect it is a detailed assessment of what is known about court orders served in the community in England and Wales today. The first edition was published in May 2007. - The community order and the suspended sentence order: The views and attitudes of sentencers by George Mair, Noel Cross and Stuart Taylor, June 2008
This report provides the first information regarding the views and attitudes of sentencers towards the new orders. - The use of the Community Order and the Suspended Sentence Order for Women by Sunita Patel and Stephen Stanley, May 2008
This report examines the use of community sentences for women considering trends in use and whether or the Community Order and Suspended Sentence Order is impacting on the use of custody for women. - The use of the Community Order and the Suspended Sentence Order for Young Adult Offenders by Stephen Stanley, June 2007
This report looks specifically at young adult offenders, considers whether the new sentences are used differently for this group compared to their use in general, and addresses whether they are being tailored to meet the specific needs of young adults. - The use and impact of the Community Order and the Suspended Sentence Order by George Mair, Noel Cross and Stuart Taylor, March 2007
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the use and impact of the new order since coming into effect in April 2005. The report includes the views and experiences of probation staff and highlights potential problems and issues which require further attention.