Last month 1,700 people in custody in prisons in England were released early as part of measures introduced to tackle the increasing prison population.
Yet in the midst of the media coverage of these unprecedented releases there was a dearth of discussion about how we reduce reoffending, rehabilitate people and better protect the public.
There was also little conversation about what effective sentencing looks like and what more we can do to prevent people entering the justice system in the first place and when they do, helping ensure they don’t return in the future. In this context community sentences which are supervised by probation play an important role in helping people move away from crime and break the cycle of offending.
Sentences served in the community provide an important sentencing option for Judges, but it is an option that is often misunderstood and perceived to be ‘soft’. It’s for this reason that we need to have more public debate and discussion about what effective sentencing can look like and how by intervening as early as possible we can prevent reoffending in the future and reduce the harm caused as well as reducing the associated costs that occur when someone enters the criminal justice system.
For those who have committed harm and cannot be safely managed in the community, prison is absolutely the appropriate place for them to be. Colleagues in the Northern Ireland Prison Service have a challenging role and they work tirelessly to keep people safe.
We know however that many people are sentenced to very short periods in custody for non-violent offences and that poses real challenges in terms of addressing offending behaviour and helping facilitate rehabilitation.
There isn’t enough time in prison to carry out meaningful work and it can be difficult for those in prison to transfer what they have learnt in custody when they move to a community setting.
There are a number of reasons why community sentences can be more effective than short custodial sentences and that includes the fact that they don’t disrupt the positive influences that people may have.
They allow people to retain contact with the support networks and services which can help to address the factors contributing to their offending. For example, they allow for the maintenance of family ties, housing tenancies, jobs, and childcare responsibilities—all factors which reduce the risk of reoffending.
Another important factor is that all probation officers here in Northern Ireland are qualified social workers trained in risk assessment and risk management, equipped with the tools to build relationships, hold people to account and tackle the causes of crime and offending.
The causes of offending and reasons why people offend often include alcohol and drug misuse, lack of education, lack of employment opportunities, and a lack of family support. Lack of access to sustainable and appropriate housing is a growing problem.
Many of those coming into contact with the justice system have also experienced traumatic incidents during childhood such as neglect, having an incarcerated parent, growing up in a household where there is abuse or illness.
Probation Officers effectively have a dual role which is to provide support and assistance to help people move away from crime, but they also have significant enforcement powers, disclose information to employees, challenge people about their behaviours and return them to Court if they can no longer be safely managed in the community.
Another key benefit of community sentencing is the partnership that statutory organisations like probation have with the community and voluntary sectors in Northern Ireland.
Over the years’ Probation has built strong links with local communities and a range of community and voluntary groups have assisted us to deliver services. That work on the ground within local communities assisting people to access services to tackle poor mental health, addictions and find employment is vital.
There is a tendency to talk about the need for ‘tougher’ sentencing to ensure people are kept safe however it is imperative that we talk honestly and openly about what ‘effective’ sentencing looks like.
Community sentencing can be effective, prevent reoffending, reduce the numbers of people coming into the justice system, reduce the number of victims of crime and keep communities safer. We have much more work to do to build awareness of the benefits of this type of sentencing but it’s important to begin the conversation.
