How important is punishment?

Lord Phillips discusses various alternatives to custodial sentences and stresses the importance of rehabilitation.

“Money spent on keeping offenders in prison by way of punishment is money that could be spent on rehabilitating them in the community. There is no alternative to custody for the prisoner whose criminality poses a serious danger to the public. Prison protects the public against the dangerous offender so long as he remains confined and there is general agreement that a prison sentence is the appropriate disposal for an offender who poses a serious risk of causing serious harm by re-offending."

“I mentioned earlier my enthusiasm for non custodial sentences where the nature of the offence is such as to enable them to be considered. They set out to achieve at least one and usually both of the following objects of sentencing: punishment and rehabilitation. But there will be a reluctance on the part of sentencers to impose non-custodial sentences unless they are confident that they will actually achieve those objects. It is also important that the public, and the media that form the views of much of the public, should believe in the efficacy of non-custodial sentences.”