HC Deb 15 December 1977 vol 941 c345W
27. Miss Fookes

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to commission research studies in to the effectiveness of different types of punishment, both custodial and non-custodial.

Mr. John

In recent years the Home Office has commissioned a number of research projects on the effectiveness of different proposals. This has included a review of the research in this field, published in 1976 under the title "The Effectiveness of Sentencing". We are continuing to study this question, and are at present examining whether it is possible to use other measures of effectiveness than the reconviction rate.