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S G C Sentencing Guidelines Council New Sentences: Criminal Justice Act 2003 Guideline - PDF
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1 S G C Sentencing Guidelines Council New Sentences: Criminal Justice Act 2003 Guideline
3 FOREWORD In accordance with the provisions of section 170(9) Criminal Justice Act 2003, the Sentencing Guidelines Council issues this guideline as a definitive guideline. By virtue of section 172 of the Act, every court must have regard to a relevant guideline. The Council was created in 2004 in order to frame Guidelines to assist Courts as they deal with criminal cases across the whole of England and Wales. This guideline relates to the new sentencing framework introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which affects the nature of community and custodial sentences. Only those sentences and related provisions which are expected to come into force by April 2005 are dealt with in this guideline. It will be followed by further guidelines in due course. This is an unusual guideline since it covers a range of sentences outside the context of individual offences and does so in readiness for the coming into force of the statutory provisions creating the sentences. It is designed with the object of ensuring a consistent approach when the sentences become available. This guideline applies only to sentences passed under the sentencing framework applicable to those aged 18 or over. The guideline is divided into two sections: Sections 1 covers the practical aspects of implementing the non-custodial powers namely the new community sentence and the new form of deferred sentence; Section 2 deals with the new custodial sentence provisions relating to suspended sentences, prison sentences of 12 months or more, and intermittent custody. 1 The Act also contains an extensive range of provisions to protect the public from dangerous offenders. These will be dealt with separately. The Advice of the Sentencing Advisory Panel to the Council (published on 20th September 2004) has been broadly accepted by the Council and forms the basis of this guideline. Further information on the issues covered in this guideline can be found in that Advice or in the discussion document that preceded it. All these documents are available on or from the Sentencing Guidelines Secretariat. Chairman of the Council December References to the Probation Service reflect current roles and responsibilities. By the time these provisions come into force, some or all of those roles and responsibilities may be those of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). i
5 CONTENTS Section 1 Community Sentences & Deferred Sentences Part 1 The Community Sentence A Statutory Provisions 3 5 B Imposing a Community Sentence The Approach 5 13 (i) Requirements 6 (a) Information for Sentencers 7 8 (b) Ranges of Sentence 8 10 (c) Electronic Monitoring 11 (d) Recording the Sentence Imposed 11 (ii) Time Spent on Remand 12 (iii) Breaches Part 2 Deferred Sentences A Statutory Provisions 14 B Use of Deferred Sentences Section 2 Custodial Sentences Part 1 Custodial Sentences of 12 Months or more A Statutory Provisions 16 B Imposition of Custodial Sentences of 12 Months or more (i) Length of sentence (ii) Licence conditions Part 2 Suspended Sentences A Statutory Provisions B Imposing a Suspended Sentence (i) The decision to suspend 24 (ii) Length of sentence 25 (iii) Requirements 25 C Breaches 26 Part 3 Intermittent Custody A Statutory Provisions B Imposing an Intermittent Custody Order (i) Circumstances when an order may be appropriate (ii) Licence Requirements 30 (iii) Sentence Length 31 1
7 SECTION 1 PART 1 COMMUNITY SENTENCES A. Statutory Provisions (i) The Thresholds for Community Sentences Seriousness Section 148 Criminal Justice Act 2003: (1) A court must not pass a community sentence on an offender unless it is of the opinion that the offence, or the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it, was serious enough to warrant such a sentence Persistent Offenders Section 151 Criminal Justice Act 2003: (1) Subsection (2) applies where (a) a person aged 16 or over is convicted of an offence ( the current offence ), (b) on three or more previous occasions he has, on conviction by a court in the United Kingdom of any offence committed by him after attaining the age of 16, had passed on him a sentence consisting only of a fine, and (c) despite the effect of section 143(2), the court would not (apart from this section) regard the current offence, or the combination of the current offence and one or more offences associated with it, as being serious enough to warrant a community sentence. (2) The court may make a community order in respect of the current offence instead of imposing a fine if it considers that, having regard to all the circumstances including the matters mentioned in subsection (3), it would be in the interests of justice to make such an order. (ii) The Sentences Available Meaning of Community Sentence Section 147 Criminal Justice Act 2003 (1) In this Part community sentence means a sentence which consists of or includes (a) (b) a community order (as defined by section 177), or one or more youth community orders Offenders aged 16 or over Section 177 Criminal Justice Act 2003: (1) Where a person aged 16 or over is convicted of an offence, the court by or before which he is convicted may make an order (in this Part referred to as a community order ) imposing on him any one or more of the following requirements (a) an unpaid work requirement (as defined by section 199), (b) an activity requirement (as defined by section 201), (c) a programme requirement (as defined by section 202), (d) a prohibited activity requirement (as defined by section 203), (e) a curfew requirement (as defined by section 204), (f) an exclusion requirement (as defined by section 205), 3
8 (g) a residence requirement (as defined by section 206), (h) a mental health treatment requirement (as defined by section 207), (i) a drug rehabilitation requirement (as defined by section 209), (j) an alcohol treatment requirement (as defined by section 212), (k) (l) a supervision requirement (as defined by section 213), and in a case where the offender is aged under 25, an attendance centre requirement (as defined by section 214). (2) Subsection (1) has effect subject to sections 150 and 218 and to the following provisions of Chapter 4 relating to particular requirements (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) section 199(3)(unpaid work requirement), section 201(3) and (4)(activity requirement), section 202(4) and (5)(programme requirement), section 203(2)(prohibited activity requirement), section 207(3)(mental health treatment requirement), section 209(2)(drug rehabilitation requirement), and section 212(2) and (3)(alcohol treatment requirement). (3) Where the court makes a community order imposing a curfew requirement or an exclusion requirement, the court must also impose an electronic monitoring requirement (as defined by section 215) unless (a) (b) it is prevented from doing so by section 215(2) or 218(4), or in the particular circumstances of the case, it considers it inappropriate to do so. (4) Where the court makes a community order imposing an unpaid work requirement, an activity requirement, a programme requirement, a prohibited activity requirement, a residence requirement, a mental health treatment requirement, a drug rehabilitation requirement, an alcohol treatment requirement, a supervision requirement or an attendance centre requirement, the court may also impose an electronic monitoring requirement unless prevented from doing so by section 215(2) or 218(4). (iii) Determining Which Orders to make & Requirements to Include Suitability Section 148 Criminal Justice Act 2003 (2) Where a court passes a community sentence which consists of or includes a community order (a) (b) the particular requirement or requirements forming part of the community order must be such as, in the opinion of the court, is, or taken together are, the most suitable for the offender, and the restrictions on liberty imposed by the order must be such as in the opinion of the court are commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, or the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it. 4
9 1.1.6 Restrictions on liberty Section 149 Criminal Justice Act 2003 (1) In determining the restrictions on liberty to be imposed by a community order or youth community order in respect of an offence, the court may have regard to any period for which the offender has been remanded in custody in connection with the offence or any other offence the charge for which was founded on the same facts or evidence Compatibility Section 177 Criminal Justice Act 2003 (6) Before making a community order imposing two or more different requirements falling within subsection (1), the court must consider whether, in the circumstances of the case, the requirements are compatible with each other. (iv) Electronic Monitoring Section 177 Criminal Justice Act 2003 (3) Where the court makes a community order imposing a curfew requirement or an exclusion requirement, the court must also impose an electronic monitoring requirement (as defined by section 215) unless (a) (b) it is prevented from doing so by section 215(2) or 218(4), or in the particular circumstances of the case, it considers it inappropriate to do so. (4) Where the court makes a community order imposing an unpaid work requirement, an activity requirement, a programme requirement, a prohibited activity requirement, a residence requirement, a mental health treatment requirement, a drug rehabilitation requirement, an alcohol treatment requirement, a supervision requirement or an attendance centre requirement, the court may also impose an electronic monitoring requirement unless prevented from doing so by section 215(2) or 218(4). B. Imposing a Community Sentence The Approach On pages 8 and 9 of the Seriousness guideline the two thresholds for the imposition of a community sentence are considered. Sentencers must consider all of the disposals available (within or below the threshold passed) at the time of sentence, and reject them before reaching the provisional decision to make a community sentence, so that even where the threshold for a community sentence has been passed a financial penalty or discharge may still be an appropriate penalty. Where an offender has a low risk of reoffending, particular care needs to be taken in the light of evidence that indicates that there are circumstances where inappropriate intervention can increase the risk of re-offending rather than decrease it. In addition, recent improvements in enforcement of financial penalties make them a more viable sentence in a wider range of cases Where an offender is being sentenced for a non-imprisonable offence or offences, great care will be needed in assessing whether a community sentence is appropriate since failure to comply could result in a custodial sentence. 5
10 Having decided (in consultation with the Probation Service where appropriate) that a community sentence is justified, the court must decide which requirements should be included in the community order. The requirements or orders imposed will have the effect of restricting the offender s liberty, whilst providing punishment in the community, rehabilitation for the offender, and/or ensuring that the offender engages in reparative activities. The key issues arising are: (i) which requirements to impose; (ii) how to make allowance for time spent on remand; and (iii) how to deal with breaches. (i) Requirements When deciding which requirements to include, the court must be satisfied on three matters i. that the restriction on liberty is commensurate with the seriousness of the offence(s); 2 ii. that the requirements are the most suitable for the offender; 3 and iii. that, where there are two or more requirements included, they are compatible with each other Sentencers should have the possibility of breach firmly in mind when passing sentence for the original offence. If a court is to reflect the seriousness of an offence, there is little value in setting requirements as part of a community sentence that are not demanding enough for an offender. On the other hand, there is equally little value in imposing requirements that would set an offender up to fail and almost inevitably lead to sanctions for a breach. In community sentences, the guiding principles are proportionality and suitability. Once a court has decided that the offence has crossed the community sentence threshold and that a community sentence is justified, the initial factor in defining which requirements to include in a community sentence should be the seriousness of the offence committed This means that seriousness is an important factor in deciding whether the Court chooses the low, medium or high range (see below) but, having taken that decision, selection of the content of the order within the range will be determined by a much wider range of factors. 2 Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 148(2)(b) 3 ibid section 148(2)(a) 4 ibid section 177(6) 6
11 Sentencing ranges must remain flexible enough to take account of the suitability of the offender, his or her ability to comply with particular requirements and their availability in the local area. The justification for imposing a community sentence in response to persistent petty offending is the persistence of the offending behaviour rather than the seriousness of the offences being committed. The requirements imposed should ensure that the restriction on liberty is proportionate to the seriousness of the offending, to reflect the fact that the offences, of themselves, are not sufficiently serious to merit a community sentence. (a) Information for Sentencers In many cases, a pre-sentence report 5 will be pivotal in helping a sentencer decide whether to impose a custodial sentence or whether to impose a community sentence and, if so, whether particular requirements, or combinations of requirements, are suitable for an individual offender. The court must always ensure (especially where there are multiple requirements) that the restriction on liberty placed on the offender is proportionate to the seriousness of the offence committed. 6 The court must also consider the likely effect of one requirement on another, and that they do not place conflicting demands upon the offender The Council supports the approach proposed by the Panel at paragraph 78 of its Advice that, having reached the provisional view that a community sentence is the most appropriate disposal, the sentencer should request a pre-sentence report, indicating which of the three sentencing ranges is relevant and the purpose(s) of sentencing that the package of requirements is required to fulfil. Usually the most helpful way for the court to do this would be to produce a written note for the report writer, copied on the court file. If it is known that the same tribunal and defence advocate will be present at the sentencing hearing and a probation officer is present in court when the request for a report is made, it may not be necessary to commit details of the request to writing. However, events may change during the period of an adjournment and it is good practice to ensure that there is a clear record of the request for the court. These two factors will guide the Probation Service in determining the nature and combination of requirements that may be appropriate and the onerousness and intensity of those requirements. A similar procedure should apply when ordering a pre-sentence report when a custodial sentence is being considered There will be occasions when any type of report may be unnecessary despite the intention to pass a community sentence though this is likely to be infrequent. A court could consider dispensing with the need to obtain a pre-sentence report for adult offenders where the offence falls within the LOW range of seriousness (see pp9 10) and where the sentencer was minded to impose a single requirement, such as an exclusion requirement (where the circumstances of the case mean that this would be an appropriate disposal without electronic monitoring) and 5 Under the Act, a pre-sentence report includes a full report following adjournment, a specific sentence report, a short format report or an oral report. The type of report supplied will depend on the level of information requested. Wherever it appears, the term pre-sentence report includes all these types of report. 6 Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 148(2) 7 ibid section 177(6) 7
12 where the sentence will not require the involvement of the Probation Service, for example an electronically monitored curfew (subject to the court being satisfied that there is an appropriate address at which the curfew can operate). (b) Ranges of Sentence Within the Community Sentence Band To enable the court to benefit from the flexibility that community sentences provide and also to meet its statutory obligations, any structure governing the use of community requirements must allow the courts to choose the most appropriate sentence for each individual offender Sentencers have a statutory obligation to pass sentences that are commensurate with the seriousness of an offence. However, within the range of sentence justified by the seriousness of the offence(s), courts will quite properly consider those factors that heighten the risk of the offender committing further offences or causing further harm with a view to lessening that risk. The extent to which requirements are imposed must be capable of being varied to ensure that the restriction on liberty is commensurate with the seriousness of the offence The Council recognises that it would be helpful for sentencers to have a framework to help them decide on the most appropriate use of the new community sentence. While there is no single guiding principle, the seriousness of the offence that has been committed is an important factor. Three sentencing ranges (low, medium and high) within the community sentence band can be identified. It is not possible to position particular types of offence at firm points within the three ranges because the seriousness level of an offence is largely dependent upon the culpability of the offender and this is uniquely variable. The difficulty is particularly acute in relation to the medium range where it is clear that requirements will need to be tailored across a relatively wide range of offending behaviour In general terms, the lowest range of community sentence would be for those offenders whose offence was relatively minor within the community sentence band and would include persistent petty offenders whose offences only merit a community sentence by virtue of failing to respond to the previous imposition of fines. Such offenders would merit a light touch approach, for example, normally a single requirement such as a short period of unpaid work, or a curfew, or a prohibited activity requirement or an exclusion requirement (where the circumstances of the case mean that this would be an appropriate disposal without electronic monitoring) The top range would be for those offenders who have only just fallen short of a custodial sentence and for those who have passed the threshold but for whom a community sentence is deemed appropriate In all three ranges there must be sufficient flexibility to allow the sentence to be varied to take account of the suitability of particular requirements for the individual offender and whether a particular requirement or package of requirements might be more effective at reducing any identified risk of re-offending. It will fall to the sentencer to ensure that the sentence strikes the right balance between proportionality and suitability. 8
13 There should be three sentencing ranges (low, medium and high) within the community sentence band based upon seriousness. It is not intended that an offender necessarily progress from one range to the next on each sentencing occasion. The decision as to the appropriate range each time is based upon the seriousness of the new offence(s). The decision on the nature and severity of the requirements to be included in a community sentence should be guided by: (i) the assessment of offence seriousness (LOW, MEDIUM OR HIGH); (ii) the purpose(s) of sentencing the court wishes to achieve; (iii)the risk of re-offending; (iv) the ability of the offender to comply, and (v) the availability of requirements in the local area. The resulting restriction on liberty must be a proportionate response to the offence that was committed Below we set out a non-exhaustive description of examples of requirements that might be appropriate in the three sentencing ranges. These examples focus on punishment in the community, although it is recognised that not all packages will necessarily need to include a punitive requirement. There will clearly be other requirements of a rehabilitative nature, such as a treatment requirement or an accredited programme, which may be appropriate depending on the specific needs of the offender and assessment of suitability. Given the intensity of such interventions, it is expected that these would normally only be appropriate at medium and high levels of seriousness, and where assessed as having a medium or high risk of re-offending. In addition, when passing sentence in any one of the three ranges, the court should consider whether a rehabilitative intervention such as a programme requirement, or a restorative justice intervention might be suitable as an additional or alternative part of the sentence. LOW For offences only just crossing the community sentence threshold (such as persistent petty offending, some public order offences, some thefts from shops, or interference with a motor vehicle, where the seriousness of the offence or the nature of the offender s record means that a discharge or fine is inappropriate) Suitable requirements might include: 40 to 80 hours of unpaid work or a curfew requirement within the lowest range (e.g. up to 12 hours per day for a few weeks) or an exclusion requirement (where the circumstances of the case mean that this would be an appropriate disposal without electronic monitoring) lasting a few months or a prohibited activity requirement or an attendance centre requirement (where available). 9
14 Since the restriction on liberty must be commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, particular care needs to be taken with this band to ensure that this obligation is complied with. In most cases, only one requirement will be appropriate and the length may be curtailed if additional requirements are necessary. MEDIUM For offences that obviously fall within the community sentence band such as handling stolen goods worth less than 1000 acquired for resale or somewhat more valuable goods acquired for the handler s own use, some cases of burglary in commercial premises, some cases of taking a motor vehicle without consent, or some cases of obtaining property by deception Suitable requirements might include: a greater number (e.g. 80 to 150) of hours of unpaid work or an activity requirement in the middle range (20 to 30 days) or a curfew requirement within the middle range (e.g. up to 12 hours for 2 3 months) or an exclusion requirement lasting in the region of 6 months or a prohibited activity requirement Since the restriction on liberty must be commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, particular care needs to be taken with this band to ensure that this obligation is complied with. HIGH For offences that only just fall below the custody threshold or where the custody threshold is crossed but a community sentence is more appropriate in all the circumstances, for example some cases displaying the features of a standard domestic burglary committed by a first-time offender More intensive sentences which combine two or more requirements may be appropriate at this level. Suitable requirements might include an unpaid work order of between 150 and 300 hours; an activity requirement up to the maximum 60 days; an exclusion order lasting in the region of 12 months; a curfew requirement of up to 12 hours a day for 4 6 months. 10
15 (c) Electronic Monitoring The court must also consider whether an electronic monitoring requirement 8 should be imposed which is mandatory 9 in some circumstances. (d) Electronic monitoring should be used with the primary purpose of promoting and monitoring compliance with other requirements, in circumstances where the punishment of the offender and/or the need to safeguard the public and prevent re-offending are the most important concerns. Recording the Sentence Imposed Under the new framework there is only one (generic) community sentence provided by statute. This does not mean that offenders who have completed a community sentence and have then re-offended should be regarded as ineligible for a second community sentence on the basis that this has been tried and failed. Further community sentences, perhaps with different requirements, may well be justified Those imposing sentence will wish to be clear about the purposes that the community sentence is designed to achieve when setting the requirements. Sharing those purposes with the offender and Probation Service will enable them to be clear about the goals that are to be achieved Any future sentencer must have full information about the requirements that were inserted by the court into the previous community sentence imposed on the offender (including whether it was a low/medium/high level order) and also about the offender s response. This will enable the court to consider the merits of imposing the same or different requirements as part of another community sentence. The requirements should be recorded in such a way as to ensure that they can be made available to another court if another offence is committed. When an offender is required to serve a community sentence, the court records should be clearly annotated to show which particular requirements have been imposed. 8 ibid section 177(3) and (4) 9 unless the necessary facilities are not available or, in the particular circumstances of the case, the court considers it inappropriate. 11
16 (ii) Time Spent on Remand The court will need to consider whether to give any credit for time spent in custody on remand. 10 (For further detail from the Panel s Advice, see Annex A) Where an offender has spent a period of time in custody on remand, there will be occasions where a custodial sentence is warranted but the length of the sentence justified by the seriousness of the offence would mean that the offender would be released immediately. Under the present framework, it may be more appropriate to pass a community sentence since that will ensure supervision on release However, given the changes in the content of the second part of a custodial sentence of 12 months or longer, a court in this situation where the custodial sentence would be 12 months or more should, under the new framework, pass a custodial sentence in the knowledge that licence requirements will be imposed on release from custody. This will ensure that the sentence imposed properly reflects the seriousness of the offence Recommendations made by the court at the point of sentence will be of particular importance in influencing the content of the licence. This will properly reflect the gravity of the offence(s) committed. (iii) The court should seek to give credit for time spent on remand (in custody or equivalent status) in all cases. It should make clear, when announcing sentence, whether or not credit for time on remand has been given (bearing in mind that there will be no automatic reduction in sentence once section 67 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 is repealed) and should explain its reasons for not giving credit when it considers either that this is not justified, would not be practical, or would not be in the best interests of the offender. Breaches Where an offender fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with one or more requirements, the responsible officer 11 can either give a warning or initiate breach proceedings. Where the offender fails to comply without reasonable excuse for the second time within a 12-month period, the responsible officer must initiate proceedings In such proceedings the court must 12 either increase the severity of the existing sentence (i.e. impose more onerous conditions including requirements aimed at enforcement, such as a curfew or supervision requirement) or revoke the existing sentence and proceed as though sentencing for the original offence. The court is required to take account of the circumstances of the breach, 13 which will inevitably have an impact on its response In certain circumstances (where an offender has wilfully and persistently failed to comply with an order made in respect of an offence that is not itself punishable by imprisonment), the court can impose a maximum of 51 weeks custody Criminal Justice Act 2003 section Criminal Justice Act 2003 schedule 8, paragraphs ibid paragraphs ibid paragraph 9(2) 14 ibid paragraph 9(1)(c) 12
17 When increasing the onerousness of requirements, the court must consider the impact on the offender s ability to comply and the possibility of precipitating a custodial sentence for further breach. For that reason, and particularly where the breach occurs towards the end of the sentence, the court should take account of compliance to date and may consider that extending the supervision or operational periods will be more sensible; in other cases it might choose to add punitive or rehabilitative requirements instead. In making these changes the court must be mindful of the legislative restrictions on the overall length of community sentences and on the supervision and operational periods allowed for each type of requirement The court dealing with breach of a community sentence should have as its primary objective ensuring that the requirements of the sentence are finished, and this is important if the court is to have regard to the statutory purposes of sentencing. A court that imposes a custodial sentence for breach without giving adequate consideration to alternatives is in danger of imposing a sentence that is not commensurate with the seriousness of the original offence and is solely a punishment for breach. This risks undermining the purposes it has identified as being important. Nonetheless, courts will need to be vigilant to ensure that there is a realistic prospect of the purposes of the order being achieved. Having decided that a community sentence is commensurate with the seriousness of the offence, the primary objective when sentencing for breach of requirements is to ensure that those requirements are completed A court sentencing for breach must take account of the extent to which the offender has complied with the requirements of the community order, the reasons for breach and the point at which the breach has occurred. Where a breach takes place towards the end of the operational period and the court is satisfied that the offender s appearance before the court is likely to be sufficient in itself to ensure future compliance, then given that it is not open to the court to make no order, an approach that the court might wish to adopt could be to re-sentence in a way that enables the original order to be completed properly for example, a differently constructed community sentence that aims to secure compliance with the purposes of the original sentence If the court decides to increase the onerousness of an order, it must give careful consideration, with advice from the Probation Service, to the offender s ability to comply. A custodial sentence should be the last resort, where all reasonable efforts to ensure that an offender completes a community sentence have failed. The Act allows for a custodial sentence to be imposed in response to breach of a community sentence. Custody should be the last resort, reserved for those cases of deliberate and repeated breach where all reasonable efforts to ensure that the offender complies have failed. Before increasing the onerousness of requirements, sentencers should take account of the offender's ability to comply and should avoid precipitating further breach by overloading the offender with too many or conflicting requirements. There may be cases where the court will need to consider re-sentencing to a differently constructed community sentence in order to secure compliance with the purposes of the original sentence, perhaps where there has already been partial compliance or where events since the sentence was imposed have shown that a different course of action is likely to be effective. 13
18 SECTION 1 PART 2 DEFERRED SENTENCES A. Statutory Provisions Under the existing legislation, 15 a court can defer a sentence for up to six months, provided the offender consents and the court considers that deferring the sentence is in the interests of justice The new provisions 16 continue to require the consent of the offender and that the court be satisfied that the making of such a decision is in the interests of justice. However, it is also stated that the power to defer sentence can only be exercised where: the offender undertakes to comply with any requirements as to his conduct during the period of the deferment that the court considers it appropriate to impose; This enables the court to impose a wide variety of conditions (including a residence requirement). 18 The Act allows the court to appoint the probation service or other responsible person to oversee the offender s conduct during this period and prepare a report for the court at the point of sentence i.e. the end of the deferment period As under the existing legislation, if the offender commits another offence during the deferment period the court may have the power to sentence for both the original and the new offence at once. Sentence cannot be deferred for more than six months and, in most circumstances, no more than one period of deferment can be granted A significant change is the provision enabling a court to deal with an offender before the end of the period of deferment. 20 For example if the court is satisfied that the offender has failed to comply with one or more requirements imposed in connection with the deferment, the offender can be brought back before the court and the court can proceed to sentence. B. Use of Deferred Sentences Under the new framework, there is a wider range of sentencing options open to the courts, including the increased availability of suspended sentences, and deferred sentences are likely to be used in very limited circumstances. A deferred sentence enables the court to review the conduct of the defendant before passing sentence, having first prescribed certain requirements. It also provides several opportunities for an offender to have some influence as to the sentence passed a) it tests the commitment of the offender not to re-offend; b) it gives the offender an opportunity to do something where progress can be shown within a short period; c) it provides the offender with an opportunity to behave or refrain from behaving in a particular way that will be relevant to sentence. 15 Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 sections 1 and 2 16 Criminal Justice Act 2003 schedule 23 repealing and replacing sections 1 and 2 of the 2000 Act 17 ibid new section 1(3)(b) as inserted by schedule 23 to the Criminal Justice Act ibid new section 1A(1) 19 ibid new section 1(4) 20 ibid new section 1B 14
19 1.2.7 Given the new power to require undertakings and the ability to enforce those undertakings before the end of the period of deferral, the decision to defer sentence should be predominantly for a small group of cases at either the custody threshold or the community sentence threshold where the sentencer feels that there would be particular value in giving the offender the opportunities listed because, if the offender complies with the requirements, a different sentence will be justified at the end of the deferment period. This could be a community sentence instead of a custodial sentence or a fine or discharge instead of a community sentence. It may, rarely, enable a custodial sentence to be suspended rather than imposed immediately. The use of deferred sentences should be predominantly for a small group of cases close to a significant threshold where, should the defendant be prepared to adapt his behaviour in a way clearly specified by the sentencer, the court may be prepared to impose a lesser sentence A court may impose any conditions during the period of deferment that it considers appropriate. 21 These could be specific requirements as set out in the provisions for community sentences, 22 or requirements that are drawn more widely. These should be specific, measurable conditions so that the offender knows exactly what is required and the court can assess compliance; the restriction on liberty should be limited to ensure that the offender has a reasonable expectation of being able to comply whilst maintaining his or her social responsibilities Given the need for clarity in the mind of the offender and the possibility of sentence by another court, the court should give a clear indication (and make a written record) of the type of sentence it would be minded to impose if it had not decided to defer and ensure that the offender understands the consequences of failure to comply with the court s wishes during the deferral period. When deferring sentence, the sentencer must make clear the consequence of not complying with any requirements and should indicate the type of sentence it would be minded to impose. Sentencers should impose specific, measurable conditions that do not involve a serious restriction on liberty. 21 ibid new section 1 (3)(b) as inserted by schedule 23 to the Criminal Justice Act Criminal Justice Act 2003 section
20 SECTION 2 CUSTODIAL SENTENCES PART 1 CUSTODIAL SENTENCES OF 12 MONTHS OR MORE A. Statutory Provisions Under existing legislation: an adult offender receiving a custodial sentence of at least 12 months and below 4 years will automatically be released at the halfway point and will then be supervised under licence until the three-quarter point of the sentence. [For some, the actual release date may be earlier as a result of release on Home Detention Curfew (HDC).] an adult offender receiving a determinate sentence of 4 years or above will be eligible for release from the halfway point and, if not released before, will automatically be released at the two-thirds point. After release, the offender will be supervised under licence until the three-quarter point of the sentence Under the new framework, the impact of a custodial sentence will be more severe since the period in custody and under supervision will be for the whole of the sentence term set by the court. Additionally, separate provisions for the protection of the public will be introduced for those offenders designated as dangerous under the Act which are designed to ensure that release only occurs when it is considered safe to do so Where a prison sentence of 12 months or more is imposed on an offender who is not classified as dangerous, that offender will be entitled to be released from custody after completing half of the sentence. The whole of the second half of the sentence will be subject to licence requirements. These requirements will be set shortly before release by the Secretary of State (with advice from the Governor responsible for authorising the prisoner s release in consultation with the Probation Service) but a court will be able to make recommendations at the sentencing stage on the content of those requirements. 23 The conditions that the Secretary of State may attach to a licence are to be prescribed by order The Act requires that a custodial sentence for a fixed term should be for the shortest term that is commensurate with the seriousness of the offence Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 238(1) 24 ibid section ibid section 153(2) 16
21 B. Imposition of Custodial Sentences of 12 Months or more (i) Length of Sentence The requirement that the second half of a prison sentence will be served in the community subject to conditions imposed prior to release is a major new development and will require offenders to be under supervision for the full duration of the sentence prescribed by the court. The Probation Service will be able to impose a number of complementary requirements on the offender during the second half of a custodial sentence and these are expected to be more demanding and involve a greater restriction on liberty than current licence conditions As well as restricting liberty to a greater extent, the new requirements will last until the very end of the sentence, rather than to the three-quarter point as at present, potentially making a custodial sentence significantly more demanding than under existing legislation. Breach of these requirements at any stage is likely to result in the offender being returned to custody and this risk continues, therefore, for longer under the new framework than under the existing legislation. Transitional arrangements In general, a fixed term custodial sentence of 12 months or more under the new framework will increase the sentence actually served (whether in custody or in the community) since it continues to the end of the term imposed. Existing guidelines issued since 1991 have been based on a different framework and so, in order to maintain consistency between the lengths of sentence under the current and the new framework, there will need to be some adjustment to the starting points for custodial sentences contained in those guidelines (subject to the special sentences under the 2003 Act where the offender is a dangerous offender) This aspect of the guideline will be temporary to overcome the short-term situation where sentencing guidelines (issued since implementation of the reforms to custodial sentences introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 1991) are based on a different framework and the new framework has made those sentences more demanding. As new guidelines are issued they will take into account the new framework in providing starting points and ranges of appropriate sentence lengths for offences and an adjustment will not be necessary Since there are so many factors that will vary, it is difficult to calculate precisely how much more demanding a sentence under the new framework will be. The Council s conclusion is that the sentencer should seek to achieve the best match between a sentence under the new framework and its equivalent under the old framework so as to maintain the same level of punishment. As a guide, the Council suggests the sentence length should be reduced by in the region of 15% The changes in the nature of a custodial sentence will require changes in the way the sentence is announced. Sentencers will need to continue 26 to spell out the practical implications of the sentence being imposed so that offenders, victims and the public alike all understand that the sentence does not end when the offender is released from custody. The fact that a breach of the requirements imposed in the second half of the sentence is likely to result in a return to custody should also be made very clear at the point of sentence. 26 having reference to the Consolidated Criminal Practice Direction [2002] 2 Cr App R 533, Annex C, as suitably amended 17
22 When imposing a fixed term custodial sentence of 12 months or more under the new provisions, courts should consider reducing the overall length of the sentence that would have been imposed under the current provisions by in the region of 15%. When announcing sentence, sentencers should explain the way in which the sentence has been calculated, how it will be served and the implications of non-compliance with licence requirements. In particular, it needs to be stated clearly that the sentence is in two parts, one in custody and one under supervision in the community. This proposal does not apply to sentences for dangerous offenders, for which separate provision has been made in the Act. (ii) Licence conditions Under the Act, a court imposing a prison sentence of 12 months or more may recommend conditions that should be imposed by the Secretary of State (with advice from the Governor responsible for authorising the prisoner s release in consultation with the Probation Service) on release from custody. 27 Recommendations do not form part of the sentence and they are not binding on the Secretary of State When passing such a sentence, the court will not know with any certainty to what extent the offender s behaviour may have been addressed in custody or what the offender s health and other personal circumstances might be on release and so it will be extremely difficult, especially in the case of longer custodial sentences, for sentencers to make an informed judgement about the most appropriate licence conditions to be imposed on release. However, in most cases, it would be extremely helpful for sentencers to indicate areas of an offender s behaviour about which they have the most concern and to make suggestions about the types of intervention whether this, in practice, takes place in prison or in the community The involvement of the Probation Service at the pre-sentence stage will clearly be pivotal. A recommendation on the likely post-release requirements included in a presentence report will assist the court with the decision on overall sentence length, although any recommendation would still have to be open to review when release is being considered. A curfew, exclusion requirement or prohibited activity requirement might be suitable conditions to recommend for the licence period. A court might also wish to suggest that the offender should complete a rehabilitation programme, for example for drug abuse, anger management, or improving skills such as literacy and could recommend that this should be considered as a licence requirement if the programme has not been undertaken or completed in custody. 27 Criminal Justice Act 2003 section 238(1) 28 ibid section
23 The Governor responsible for authorising the prisoner s release, in consultation with the Probation Service, is best placed to make recommendations at the point of release; this is the case at present and continues to be provided for in the Act. Specific court recommendations will only generally be appropriate in the context of relatively short sentences, where it would not be unreasonable for the sentencer to anticipate the relevance of particular requirements at the point of release. Making recommendations in relation to longer sentences (other than suggestions about the types of intervention that might be appropriate at some point during the sentence) would be unrealistic. The Governor and Probation Service should have due regard to any recommendations made by the sentencing court and the final recommendation to the Secretary of State on licence conditions will need to build upon any interventions during the custodial period and any other changes in the offender s circumstances. A court may sensibly suggest interventions that could be useful when passing sentence, but should only make specific recommendations about the requirements to be imposed on licence when announcing short sentences and where it is reasonable to anticipate their relevance at the point of release. The Governor and Probation Service should have due regard to any recommendations made by the sentencing court but its decision should be contingent upon any changed circumstances during the custodial period. The court should make it clear, at the point of sentence, that the requirements to be imposed on licence will ultimately be the responsibility of the Governor and Probation Service and that they are entitled to review any recommendations made by the court in the light of any changed circumstances. 19
24 SECTION 2 PART 2 SUSPENDED SENTENCES OF IMPRISONMENT A. Statutory Provisions Section 189 Criminal Justice Act 2003 (1) A court which passes a sentence of imprisonment for a term of at least 28 weeks but not more than 51 weeks 29 in accordance with section 181 may (a) order the offender to comply during a period specified for the purposes of this paragraph in the order (in this Chapter referred to as the supervision period ) with one or more requirements falling within section 190(1)and specified in the order, and (b) order that the sentence of imprisonment is not to take effect unless either (i) during the supervision period the offender fails to comply with a requirement imposed under paragraph (a), or (ii) during a period specified in the order for the purposes of this subparagraph (in this Chapter referred to as the operational period ) the offender commits in the United Kingdom another offence (whether or not punishable with imprisonment), and (in either case) a court having power to do so subsequently orders under paragraph 8 of Schedule 12 that the original sentence is to take effect. (2) Where two or more sentences imposed on the same occasion are to be served consecutively, the power conferred by subsection (1) is not exercisable in relation to any of them unless the aggregate of the terms of the sentences does not exceed 65 weeks. (3) The supervision period and the operational period must each be a period of not less than six months and not more than two years beginning with the date of the order. (4) The supervision period must not end later than the operational period. (5) A court which passes a suspended sentence on any person for an offence may not impose a community sentence in his case in respect of that offence or any other offence of which he is convicted by or before the court or for which he is dealt with by the court. (6) Subject to any provision to the contrary contained in the Criminal Justice Act 1967 (c.80), the Sentencing Act or any other enactment passed or instrument made under any enactment after 31st December 1967,a suspended sentence which has not taken effect under paragraph 8 of Schedule 12 is to be treated as a sentence of imprisonment for the purposes of all enactments and instruments made under enactments. (7) In this Part (a) suspended sentence order means an order under subsection (1), (b) suspended sentence means a sentence to which a suspended sentence order relates, and 29 Since custody plus is not expected to be brought into force until a later date, it is likely that transitional provisions will provide for this power to be used for any sentence of imprisonment of less than 12 months. 20