Independent Inquiry into Alternatives to Custody

During the course of Rethinking Crime and Punishment, it became clear that there is a need for a systematic and fundamental look at the proper role of prison and alternatives in the UK.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s Trustees invited Lord Coulsfield, the recently retired Scottish judge to chair an inquiry into the issue. Lord Coulsfield worked with five commissioners with experience of the criminal justice system. The Police Foundation hosted the inquiry.

'Crime, Courts and Confidence', the report by the Commission of Inquiry chaired by Lord Coulsfield contains a number of radical proposals to increase the effectiveness of and confidence in alternatives to prison. It includes a call for much greater community involvement in community-based sentences.

Click here to download a PDF copy of the final report 'Crime, Courts and Confidence' (2004) (530K).

Click here to download a copy of the Executive summary (31K).

To download a PDF of the RCP's submission to the Coulsfield Inquiry click here (362k)

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