Home Department written question – answered at on 11 January 2005.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to inform the general public about community based sentences.
The Home Office and Probation Areas are working to improve public understanding and knowledge of community sentences and the benefits they can bring to society in terms both of reducing re-offending and payback to the community. A communications campaign through print and broadcast media aims to demonstrate that community sentences can be tough and demanding and involve offenders putting something back into the community. A national visibility scheme for community work is also in place.
The reparation marque 'Making Amends' identifies locations that have benefited from community work. In February/March, we will undertake a 'Clean Up' campaign whereby local people will be given the opportunity to have a direct say in what compulsory unpaid work is carried out by offenders as part of their community punishment. This initiative aims to improve public confidence in community penalties and make compulsory unpaid work by offenders more visible.
We will also aim to generate media coverage of the new community sentences created in the Criminal Justice Act 2003, including Custody Minus and the new generic community sentence as they come on stream.
In addition, Probation Areas are active members of Local Criminal Justice Boards and, as such, are working to raise confidence in all aspects of criminal justice, specifically with victims and minority ethnic communities.
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