NCJ Number
158579
Date Published
1990
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This document presents a response to the White Paper issued by the government of Great Britain entitled "Crime, Justice, and Protecting the Public."
Abstract
The White Paper provides the opportunity for players in the criminal justice system to address key problems, including the high use of custody, the overrepresentation of blacks in the prison system, and inconsistencies in sentencing between different courts. Some of the proposals put forth in the White Paper which are disputed in this response are those that would encourage longer sentences for violent and sexual crimes, that would change the parole system, and that might increase the use of custody because of parallel increases in violations of community based sanctions. Other elements of the White Paper addressed here include the use of fines as a penalty, the principle of proportionality in sentencing, the value of interagency cooperation, and the need to reduce the use of custody for juvenile offenders.