Open Justice has responded to the Sentencing Council consultation on the proposed Imposition of community and custodial sentences guidelines.
Our key concerns and comments include:
We support addressing addiction issues through community orders rather than custodial sentences.
We call for an end to custodial sentences for pregnant women.
We highlight concerns about fines escalating to custodial sentences and urge for a broader approach to sentencing improvements.
We welcome the necessity of pre-sentence reports in all cases and support the inclusion of guidelines for specific cohorts, including women.
We suggest improving guidance on deferring sentencing for offenders with addiction or mental health issues.
We stress the importance of considering evidence-based approaches in sentencing, particularly for different offender cohorts.
We encourage more detailed research on the impact of proposed changes on sentencing practice.
We highlight the need for addressing equalities issues, particularly in providing separate guidelines for specific cohorts.
You can download the full response here:
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