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Chapter
Dimensions of difference
DOI link for Dimensions of difference
Dimensions of difference book
Dimensions of difference
DOI link for Dimensions of difference
Dimensions of difference book
ABSTRACT
This chapter will consider the provision of non-custodial measures for specific minority offender groups, namely women, ethnic minorities and mentally disordered offenders. Standard non-custodial approaches (such as community punishment or the first tranche of cognitive-behavioural programmes) have often been designed for ‘mainstream’ white, male and mentally stable offenders, with little attention to minority groups. These programmes have been critiqued on the following grounds: their lack of relevance to the criminogenic needs of minority groups; attrition rates (although the evidence for different attrition rates is not clear: see Kemshall and Canton 2002); lack of use by sentencers; and negative offender views about the appropriateness of supervision programmes. The chapter will consider the extent to which minority offender groups are over-represented in the prison population; the evidence for differential criminogenic needs across these offender groups; and the limited research evidence on both the relevance and effectiveness of non-custodial approaches for these offender groups.