On 14 November 2024 the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published further detail on the Independent Sentencing Review. The MoJ has opened a call for evidence to assist the Review. You can find details about the call for evidence here.

You can respond to the call for evidence here

The call for evidence will be open until 9 January 2025

Clinks have received a letter from David Gauke, Chair of the Review, welcoming evidence from the voluntary sector and inviting us to share with our members and the wider sector.

The Panel is seeking evidence across seven themes:

1. History and trends in sentencing
2. The structure of sentencing
3. The use of technology within sentencing
4. Community sentences
5. Custodial sentences
6. The progression of custodial sentences
7. The individual needs of victims and offenders.

A panel of experts has been announced for the Review by the Lord Chancellor, and are:

• Lord Burnett – Former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (2017 – 2023)
• Catherine Larsen KPM – Former Inspector from Avon and Somerset Police whose work included transforming the way rape and serious sexual offences are investigated by the police
• Sir Peter Lewis KCMG, CB – Former Prosecutor, Chief Executive of the Crown Prosecution Service (2007 – 2016) and Registrar of the International Criminal court in the Netherlands (2018 and 2023)
• Nicola Padfield KC (Hon) – Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice at the Law Faculty, University of Cambridge, Criminal Law Barrister, and Crown Court Recorder (2002-2014)
• Andrea Simon – Executive Director of End Violence Against Women, serving on the London Policing Board and the Violence Against Women and Girls Board
• Michael Spurr CB – Former Chief Executive of HM Prison and Probation Service (2010-2019) and Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service.

Clinks Chief Executive Officer, Anne Fox, has responded to this announcement, saying:

“Today’s Independent Sentencing Review announcement marks a significant opportunity for a fundamental reset of the criminal justice system. For too long, we have been sending more people to prison, for longer – with no impact on public safety but strong evidence of the negative impact this has on people's ability to live crime-free lives. The review is an opportunity to develop evidence-based sentencing that will more effectively address the underlying causes of people's contact with the criminal justice system.

The voluntary sector working in criminal justice system and the people they work with will be a critical source of expertise in shaping the review’s findings, and we will be drawing upon the on-the-ground experience of the sector to provide the panel with evidence and recommendations rooted in the experiences of people in contact with the system. We look forward to engaging with the review’s chair, David Gauke, and his wider panel of experts.”

Please see our previous blog - The Sentencing Review launch - for Anne’s initial thoughts on the Sentencing Review announcement in October 2024.

Clinks will be working with the sector to inform our response – keep an eye on our website, socials and Light Lunch for more information.

Respond to the call for evidence here by 9 January 2025