Response: Sentencing Council consultation

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:

OPEN JUSTICE Response to consultation Sentencing Guidelines 2024.pdf

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