The suspended sentence in the penal system

Abstract

The growth of serious crime has given rise to an increasing prison population and an increased tariff of penalties. The problem has been to find ways and means of restricting the use of imprisonment and of releasing those within through the parole system before they "deteriorate". Post-war penal policy set upon a task of contriving alternatives to custody in a political climate where the increasing alarm about crime and the growing scepticism about the relevance of welfare measures has dispelled some of the earlier enthusiasm for dealing with the more serious offender within the community as a problem solely for social casework and supervision. Alternatives to imprisonment were therefore a matter of necessity particularly from the 1960s onwards in view of the serious overcrowding in custodial institutions. The theory was that sentencers required more options if they were to assist in keeping offenders out of prison. One option having the semblance of a genuine alternative to prison. coupled with financial considerations was and still is the Suspended Sentence.