16th January 2006
Victims say stopping re-offending is more important than prison

A new survey published today from SmartJustice and Victim Support gives a unique insight into how victims think the criminal justice system should deal with people who commit non-violent crimes. The findings, published in the Mirror today, challenge many pre-conceived ideas that victims always want heavy penalties such as prison. Instead, they support a range of measures which they believe are more effective in stopping further offending.

The most striking finding of the research, conducted by ICM, was that 8 out of 10 (80%) victims think that more constructive activities for young people in the community and better supervision by parents would be effective in stopping re-offending.

Seven out of ten victims also want to see more treatment programmes in the community for offenders suffering from mental health problems, and for drug addicts, to tackle the causes of non-violent crime.

Among the key findings from the poll, which asked how non-violent crimes like shoplifting, car theft and vandalism can be reduced, were:

· Two-thirds (62%) of victims think that going to prison does not prevent re-offending
· More than half (54%) were in favour of making offenders work in the community - in schools, old people's homes or parks - to stop them returning to crime
· 51% of victims were also in support of making offenders meet their victims to make amends personally

Lucie Russell, Director of SmartJustice, said: “This is the first ever survey of victims views about non violent crime. It’s clear from the survey that most victims don’t believe that prison produces law abiding citizens. There is strong support for measures to improve parenting, more constructive activities for young people, more drug treatment for addicts and more mental health provision. What most people seem to want is not retribution but effective ways to prevent the next victim.”

Peter Dunn, Head of Research & Development at Victim Support, said: “Victims are often assumed to be vengeful towards offenders and favour harsh punishments. This is misleading. Most victims, while feeling angry about what has happened to them, want the offender to stop offending both against them and against other people. This research confirms that a lot of victims are interested in the prospect of constructive work being done with offenders to prevent their further offending. It shows that many victims of crime want effective measures to tackle the root causes of offending, which involves more than vengeance and punishment for its own sake.”

Chris Streeks, a 38 year old ex-offender who is now an actor, said: “I served 22 prison sentences in 18 years which did nothing to reduce my offending. Prison made me worse – and this survey shows victims want the kind of initiatives put in place that will stop people like me committing crime over so many years.”

Clive Harold, who was the victim of anti social behaviour for over 2 years, said: “I eventually met the person responsible for the crimes against me and in my opinion it was more effective than locking him up – I was at last able tell him what affect his behaviour on me and my wife, which helped a great deal. He was full of remorse and explained the reasons behind it. Eventually he got a job and has not offended since.”

end

Notes to Editors

1. This survey was carried out by ICM between 19th December 2005 and 7th January 2006, 982 adults who were victims of crime were interviewed.

2. SmartJustice is a five year campaign which promotes community based solutions to crime. It is based at the Prison Reform Trust and supported by the Network for Social Change, the group behind the Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt Campaign and the National Lottery. The research was funded by the Funding Network.

3. Victim Support is the national independent charity for people affected by crime. It provides a free and confidential service, offers information, support and practical help to victims, witnesses, their families and friends and helped over 1.4 million people in England and Wales affected by crime last year. www.victimsupport.org. Registered charity number 298028.

4. Recent Home Office figures show that 67% of offenders were reconvicted within 2 years of release from prison.

More ICM results below:

· 53% do not think the criminal justice system takes account of victims needs compared to 34% who thought it did.

· For crimes such as shoplifting, stealing cars and vandalism only, 62% do not think that going to prison makes offenders less likely to offend again.
When asked which of the following would be the best ways of stopping offenders committing these type of crimes:

· Over half (54%) agreed with the statement, ‘paying back to the community for the damage caused by doing compulsory work, for example in schools and old people’s homes’, compared to 26% who did not.

· Over half (51 %) agreed with the statement, ‘meeting their victims so victims get the opportunity to tell the offender what impact their behaviour had on them and their family and for the offender to be called to account and make amends for what they’ve done’, compared to 29% who did not.

· Over half (51%) agreed with the statement, ‘under Probation supervision, be required to address the problems such as drug addiction, mental health problems, lack of education, homelessness which may have led to them to commit crime’, compared to 24% who did not.

· Only 1 in 3 (35%) agreed with the statement, ‘a short custodial sentence’,

When asked about drug addicts who commit crimes, and which of the following options is likely to be most effective in reducing crime:

· 1 in 4 (24%) agreed with the statement, ‘legalisation of drugs’, compared to 61% who did not.

· Nearly half (49%) agreed with the statement, drug treatment, under supervision in the community’ compared to 25% who did not.

· 28% agreed with the statement, ‘sending them to prison’, compared to 52% who did not.

· 1 in 4 (24%) agreed with the statement, ‘making hard drugs available on prescription’, compared to 55% who did not.

When asked what would be effective in reducing crime in the long run?

· 8 out of 10 (80%) agreed with the statement, ‘better supervision of young people by parents’, compared to 12% who did not.

· Over 8 out of 10 (83%) agreed with the statement, ‘more constructive activities by young people to prevent them getting into crime’, compared to 10% who did not.

· Over 7 out of 10 (72%) agreed with the statement, ‘more drug treatment programmes in the community’, compared to 15% who did not.

· 2 in 3 (66%) agreed with the statement, ‘improved mental health care for offenders in the community’, compared to 17 % who did not.

· 2 in 5 (38%) agreed with the statement, ‘building more prisons’, compared to 44% who did not.