(UK) Community or Custody - which works best? A National Enquiry

8th March 2011

Make Justice Work has commissioned a National Enquiry to investigate and compare the value and efficacy of short-term prison sentences and community based alternatives to custody.

Starting in July 2010, the Enquiry will involve four in-depth investigatory meetings around the country. Reports on the first two of these meetings are now available here.

• Manchester Intensive Alternative to Custody: A two year pilot targeting 18-25 year old male offenders who have tended to be the hardest to rehabilitate and engage with.
• Bradford Together Women Project: The Together Women Project has a number of centres which support women offenders and women at risk of offending. The centres aim to tackle issues which may trigger offending behaviour, divert women from custody, and prevent family breakdown.

A number of interesting findings are included in the interim reports; the Bradford report is particularly interesting regarding women offenders, detailing the particular issues experienced by this group, which frequently lead to greater difficulty than men in complying with community orders.

In spring 2011, a comprehensive report will be published, which will outline the findings and put forward recommendations for national policy makers.

Read more:

• communityorcustody.com
• makejusticework.org