Understanding Community Penalties

This title provides a concise and critical understanding of community sentences in relation to policy, practice and research. Coverage of these three contexts is a distinguishing feature of the book, which takes a comprehensive approach informed by the authors' long involvement in this field. It begins by examining the role and function of community sentences, and how they challenge the framework of thinking about punishment in the criminal justice system. The book then traces the historical development of the theory and practice of community supervision, and shows what impact the first wave of research into its effectiveness has had on policy and practice.