Suspended Sentences - Rethinking presumptions against short sentences with Dr Cyrus Tata and Dr Shona Minson
JUSTICE with prison philanthropist Edwina GrosvenorShow Notes
In this episode we explore suspended sentences and what a presumption against short prison sentences really means. With the election this year, it is not clear which policies will be upheld if there is a change in Government, however recently Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk announced intentions to introduce a presumption against sentences of less than 12 months in England and Wales, in favour of these short sentences being suspended in the community.
Experts Dr Shona Minson and Dr. Cyrus Tata discuss the effectiveness of this policy in Scotland since it was introduced over a decade ago, finding little impact on reducing custody rates. They explore the proposed legislation in England and Wales, challenging assumptions around it’s suggested impact, and highlighting that without both clarity of vision and proper investment in community support, prison will often be used as the default.
We explore how vital community support services, such as women’s centres, are for women involved in the justice system, 66% of whom receive sentences of less that 12 months and would therefore have their sentences suspended under the new presumption.
Learn more about Dr Cyrus Tata https://www.strath.ac.uk/staff/tatacyrusprof/ and find them on Twitter @CyrusTata1
Learn more about Dr Shona Minson https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/people/shona-minson and find them on Twitter @ShonaMinson
Twitter - @OSTCharity
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More from JUSTICE with prison philanthropist Edwina Grosvenor
In this episode, we hear from Anouschka Rajah, Research and Analysis Manager at More in Common and joint author of the 2025 Course Correction report on public attitudes to criminal justice. More in Common was founded in the aftermath of the tragic murder of Jo Cox MP in 2016 and carries out public opinion research to inform politicians, policy makers and the media on how communities across the country view major issues facing society, including crime and justice.
In this episode, we hear from Dame Vera Baird about how to harness momentum following the publication of the Women’s Justice Board report in March. Dame Vera explains why she is optimistic for the future of women’s justice and calls for a co-ordinated approach involving multiple government departments and the commitment of key ministers to take reforms forward.
In this episode, Edwina speaks to Jacob Dunne about his journey from prison to becoming a leading voice in criminal justice reform. They talk about his phenomenal memoir Right From Wrong, which was turned into the Olivier award winning play Punch (www.punchtheplay.com) by James Graham (@misterjamesgraham).
In this episode, we hear from Kate Green, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester responsible for safer and stronger communities. In this discussion, Edwina and Kate explore how Greater Manchester is reshaping its response to domestic abuse and housing. Kate outlines an innovative housing scheme that protects survivors’ priority on social housing lists when they move across Greater Manchester, and new orders that enables survivors to stay in the family home while perpetrators are housed elsewhere.
In this episode, we explore the stigma associated with being a woman in prison with Jules Rowan, the co-host of the Life After Prison podcast. In this discussion Edwina and Jules discuss the barriers women face when they leave prison and the systematic change needed on fundamental issues such as housing for women in contact with the justice system. Jules’ describes her journey from serving a prison sentence to becoming a personal trainer and talks about how the justice system is a scary and lonely place to be at the age of 19 with minimal legal help or understanding of the system. They discuss how important it is to empower women to be able to tell their own story - in order to shift the stigma and re-define their journey - which in so many cases includes childhood trauma, abuse, substance use, lack of support and poverty.