The Archbishop of Canterbury is right to warn that the riots could return (The Guardian, Investigating England’s Summer of Disorder, 5th December 2011). As a result of the violence in August we saw a surge in the number of offenders given short prison sentences. This is a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money. Short prison sentences are ineffective when it comes to tackling re-offending and making offenders face-up to what they have done. Intensive alternatives to custody are tough and are also more successful when it comes to ensuring the same crimes aren’t repeated. If we really want to cut crime, we need to stop making the same mistakes.