alternatives to prison
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Alternatives to Prison
Electronic Tagging and Community Sentencing
Community Punishment/Service – What is it?
• Community Punishment (E/W)• Community Service (Scotland)• Must complete a minimum of 40hrs unpaid work
that benefits the community• Must be physically, intellectually or emotionally
demanding• For example: Clearing graveyards, litter picking,
renovating community buildings, constructing playgrounds...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-ufnxjrPi0
Rehabilitation/Probation Order – What is it?
• Offenders are placed under the care of a social worker or a probation officer
• Regular meetings with officers• Offender behaviour programmes • Drug or alcohol rehabilitation programmes• Anger management• Forced to think about the crime
Effectiveness of Community Sentencing
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNsMx8nZ53M• A Home Office report estimated that community
sentencing reduces reoffending by 15% more than prison sentences
• “community sentencing has lower reoffending rates because the people who are given them are pre-selected as less likely to re-offend” – Peter Hitchens, Daily Mail
• Costs between £2,000 and £4,000 a year – Alternatives to Prison Home Office Report
• 22% of those on probation orders in 2000 were convicted of simple assault or non-sexual crimes of violence
Restriction of Liberty Order (Scotland)
• Offenders are placed on “house arrest”• Offenders must remain in a specific place for
between 2 and 12 hours a day• Combined with Supervision orders the
authorities can ban offenders from doing certain things and meeting certain people
• If broken the offender can be sent to jail• Only 2,600 issued a year• Electronic tagging used all over the world
Political Opinion• Ken Clarke – more left wing Conservative wants to concentrate on
reducing prison population and toughening up community sentencing• He said prison should be "first and foremost" a place of punishment - but
it could not continue to be "simply an expensive way of giving communities a break".
• Tory MP Edward Leigh counter argued: "Communities deserve a break - they deserve a break from being burgled.”
• “Community sentencing does have a part to play in our justice system but they must never be the easy option in the criminals” minds Bill Aitken, Tory justice spokesman
• "This means recognising that community sentences help to cut reoffending levels, but also ensuring that the offenders who still pose a risk to communities are not left to wander the streets." Margaret Smith, Lib Dem Justice spokesperson, Scotland
• http://news.scotsman.com/lawandorder/Electronic-tagging-of-young-offenders.3329369.jp - CATRIONA’S PAPPA
?Name 10 celebrities/famous people who have been community sentenced or placed under
house arrest or community tags
Paris was sentenced to community service after she plead guilty to two misdemeanors- drug possession and obstructing an officer- but avoided jail time. Instead, she was on probation for a year, had to complete a substance abuse program, pay a $2,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service.
Snooki (Jersey Shore) breached the peace on a beach and was charged with community sentencing. She had to clean up the Seaside Heights Police Department and give an autograph signing for charity.
Lindsay Lohan was ordered to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet after appearing in court on drink driving charges. She also must not drink, take drugs or leave the state of California.
Julian Assange (Wikileaks) – questioning over alleged sex offences. Awaiting trial under house arrest in Norfolk must wear a tag and surrender his passport.
Bibliography
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11933385
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7113873.stm
• http://news.scotsman.com/lawandorder/Electronic-tagging-of-young-offenders.3329369.jp
• Handouts from Miss Halliday