More in the report out today! www.moreincommon.org.uk/our-work/res...

But concerns around whether changes will be resourced sufficiently - reflected in Gauke’s call for investment in probation. As Julie from Rother Valley put it “If they don't turn up, what do they do? Somebody's got to go and find them to say why haven't you been to your course?”

Interestingly for social conservatives and particularly for women, support for community sentencing increases where a prison backstop is included - meaning failure to comply turns a community sentence into a prison one.

Like Hayley from Brent who thought community sentencing could be "more of a punishment because for some people going to prison, it's a bit like a holiday... But obviously, yeah, it depends on what it is... if you're a risk to women, kids or anyone on the streets, then no”.

Deep sense among public that community sentencing should be case-by-case rather than one-size-fits-all, with clear red lines.

Eg Lab to Ref switcher Damien who said “If we made prisons horrible places, made the punishments ridiculous, no one would do it” adding “definitely people with substance issues should be sentenced with rehabilitation orders because they have a health problem...they need support.”

It’s vital to the public that punishment remains central to criminal sentencing - 45% think punishment should take priority over rehabilitation. But the public aren’t one dimensional here & see punishment as only part of the solution.

Review’s rec to sentence more offenders outside of prison lines up with public mood - 3 in 5 want to see community sentencing for some offenders currently sent to prison. Driven both by empathy around causes of crime + desire for offenders to contribute and pay their own way.

Jason from Taunton felt “they tend to come down harder on some lesser crimes than what they do on harder crimes”. Progress here would mean both minor crimes not unduly penalised and serious offenders not seen to get off lightly.

In focus groups Brits point to prisoner early releases as the symptom of a system failing to keep us safe. Early releases play into frustration that people seem to end up with sentences that don’t fit their crimes.

Brits are unconvinced today’s prisons are effective - only 1 in 5 think prison makes someone less likely to reoffend. Strikingly, more believe it increases the chance of offending.

Gauke sentencing review today comes as 2 in 3 Brits say they want major changes to the criminal justice system. So do proposed reforms address concerns or deepen the public's loss of faith? Explored in new research by More in Common & Common Ground Justice ⬇️