§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what alternatives to imprisonment he has made available to courts; and what evidence exists on the deterrent effect of these alternatives.
§ Mr. MayhewAlternatives to immediate sentences of imprisonment available to the courts for offenders over the age of 17 comprise—besides absolute or conditional discharge—the fine, the probation order, the community service order, and the suspended sentence of imprisonment. In addition, male offenders aged between 17 and 21 can be made subject to attendance centre orders in areas where an attendance centre is available for this age group. The courts thus have a wide range of non-custodial alternatives to choose from. The Government are committed to encouraging their use whenever practicable and have made available a wide range of provision for hostels and other facilities within this sentencing framework.
The available evidence does not demonstrate any marked differences in deterrent effect on individual offenders between the various sentences and orders, whether custodial or non-custodial. The evidence is considered in some detail in Home Office Research Study No. 35 "The effectiveness of sentencing" by S. R. Brody.