Public confidence in community sentences: Evaluation of the fourth year of Local Crime Community Sentences

Engaging communities with the criminal justice system can be achieved by providing the public with clear information about sentencing.

We evaluated the successful pilot of the 'Local crime/community sentence' project run by the Probation Boards Association and the Magistrates' Association, and we are advising the project team as it is rolled out nationally. The project aims to raise public awareness about the importance of community sentences and through increased understanding, to improve public confidence in such sentences.

In October 2008 we undertook an evaluation of the fourth year of the project.