Economic analayis of alternatives to short-term custody

Economic analayis of alternatives to short-term custody (June 2012)

Research commissioned by Make Justice Work into the economic benefits of providing Intensive Alternatives to Custody (IAC order) instead of short term custodial sentences reveals they could save up to £500 million over five years. Matrix Evidence conducted the research using the example of IAC orders in two pilot sites in Manchester and Bradford.

Key Findings:

• The IAC costs less than short term custodial sentences. The average direct cost of a  short term custodial sentence per person per annum is £13,900. In comparison, the average direct cost per person per annum in the IAC was £3,514 in Manchester.
• Practitioners believe reoffending can be greatly reduced due to an IAC order.
• Providing IAC orders for all eligible young adult offenders instead of a custodial sentence would save £500 million over the next 5 years
• These total savings are broken down as follows: £177 million in reduced intervention costs, £69 million in reduced costs to the criminal justice system of dealing with crimes, £29 million in reduced costs to the NHS of dealing with crimes, and £225 million in reduced costs to the victims of crimes.

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