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Towards effective sentencing

Document Cited authorities 2 Cited in Related
Vincent
DOI10.1177/02645505090560010304
Published date01 March 2009
Date01 March 2009
AuthorChris Fox
Subject MatterArticles
/tmp/tmp-17rE6Q4GqTnx3E/input Research & reports 75
● Sentencers should curb their use of IPP in line with the legislative changes
included in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 that has
introduced a ‘seriousness threshold’ of two years as a recommended
minimum tariff (p.19).
● Short-tariff prisoners should be give priority when accessing offending
behaviour programmes
● Consideration needs to be given to the resettlement and management of
IPP licences to prevent large scale licence revocations
● Multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) panels should
include a senior psychiatric representation when IPP prisoners with mental
health needs are being considered
● All released prisoners who are on the Care Plan Approach (CPA) should
automatically be referred to a community mental health team or if required
an assertive outreach team.
In The Dark: The Mental Health Implications of Imprisonment for Public Protec-
tions is published by Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (2008) and can be
downloaded free from www.scmh.org.uk
Emma Cluley
Greater Manchester Probation Area
Towards effective sentencing
Previously known as the Constitutional Affairs Committee, the Justice Committee
examines the expenditure, administration and policy of the Ministry of Justice
and its associated public bodies. Its report on effective sentencing starts by setting
out the context of a rising prison population which it believes indicates a wider
problem with current sentencing policy. The Committee agrees with commentators
who explain the rising prison population in terms of longer sentences and prison
sentences being imposed on those who would previously have received non-
custodial sentences. In setting the context for the report the Committee return to
the Criminal Justice Act 2003, the purpose of which was to provide an overall
structure to sentencing by reserving prison for the most dangerous offenders and
providing effective community sentences. This report evaluates the extent to which
the Act’s...

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