NCJ Number
229319
Date Published
December 2004
Length
80 pages
Annotation
This report, funded by the British Government over a 4-year period, focuses on the use of, and public attitudes toward, imprisonment and alternatives to custody as a response to crime in the United Kingdom.
Abstract
The common themes of this report pertain to the importance of public and community involvement in criminal justice, the development of sufficient programs for treating health problems that contribute to crime, and commitment to the use of prison as a last resort. The report reflects a multifaceted approach to the use of imprisonment and alternatives to imprisonment, as it has examined how policies and practices have impacted some key groups, namely children, women, drug users, and mentally ill individuals. Regarding children and youth, the report recommends focusing on prevention, education, and intensive supervision as the most effective, economic, and popular approaches for the justice system. Regarding women offenders, community-based programs are reported to be urgently needed in order to stem the dramatic increase in the number of women in prison. Regarding drug-abusing offenders, much more residential treatment is recommended. With respect to mentally ill offenders, there should be a shift from sending them to prison to housing them in more appropriate settings that specialize in providing secure custody where mental health services can be provided. Regarding alternatives to prison, the report recommends increasing local community-based approaches, so as to reduce the number of offenders in prison. Appended materials on policy developments from 2001-04, list of project grants, descriptions of research projects, main publication products, and governance and evaluation