ABSTRACT
In this chapter we adopt a particular view of sentence management, which we consider most appropriate to the needs of the Coulsfield Commission. We will focus on two main areas, both of which essentially concern the administration or management of community-based sentences, rather than the delivery of specific interventions. The main body of the chapter focuses on the work of the statutory agencies which, along with their various partners, have historically been largely responsible for the implementation of community-based sentences. We pay particular attention to two aspects of the ‘case management’ process: the assessment of offenders and the enforcement of community orders. We also address separately the management of ‘seamless’ sentences, which are served partly in custody and partly in the community. In the final part of the chapter we turn our attention to the role of sentencers in the overview and review of community-based penalties – a role which, in England and Wales, is set to intensify in the light of the new sentencing provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. We do not consider sentencing decisions per se; these are dealt with in Chapter 12.
