A report on sentencers’ views of Community Service Orders (CSOs) and Short Term Prison Sentences co-written by Dr Niamh Maguire, Senior Lecturer in Law at SETU, and Professor Nicola Carr, Chair of Social Work and Social Policy, was launched in the Department of Justice on 6 November. The report is based on research commissioned by the Department of Justice. The research explores the reasons for the continued use of sentences of short-term imprisonment, despite their known negative effects, and the relative under-use of community service orders in Ireland.
The research, which includes a systematic review of literature and in-depth interviews with judges, finds that there are numerous barriers to the use of community service orders. The report makes a number of key policy recommendations including the need to review the current thresholds at which CSOs are set, alongside their legislative status; reconsideration of suitability criteria for CSOs; increased resourcing, and awareness raising and information sharing.
The report is available to download from the Department of Justice website. Click here to view.