Magistrates don’t need more powers

Make Justice Work in The Times.

“Sir, I too am concerned that stronger sentencing powers for magistrates would put more strain on a prison system that is already bursting at the seams and failing to bring about a reduction in reoffending. Real savings to society, in terms of fewer victims and less expense to the taxpayer, will come not from diverting cases away from the Crown Court to the magistrates’ courts but instead diverting nuisance offenders away from short-term prison sentences to well-resourced alternatives to custody, which can encompass dedicated drug rehabilitation, training and employment schemes and mental health support…“