MoJ announces a new protocol for CSTRs
Today the MOJ has announced that the pilot sites for the cross-governmental protocol approach to Community Sentence Treatment Requirements have supported approximately 400 CSTRs since the end of 2017. The MOJ has indication a roll out across England after the results of the trial has been assessed. Revolving Doors Agency welcomes this scheme and the MOJ’s renewed focus on the provision of meaningful rehabilitation. Our campaign against the use of #shortsighted short prison sentences illustrated the ineffectiveness of sending people to prison for less than 6 months. We know that short sentences disrupt family ties, housing, employment and treatment, without addressing the underlying causes of persistent, petty offending.
We also know that this new approach is overwhelmingly popular with the public. In a poll we commissioned as part of our campaign we found that 3/4 of the public think that people with drug or alcohol addictions belong in treatment programmes instead of prison. Similarly, 84% of voters said they were likely to vote for an MP candidate that supported reducing prison populations and using the savings to invest in drug treatment and mental health programmes. We hope that this pilot scheme represents a wider shift away from the use of short prison sentences and the disruption they cause.
