Sentencing (community, custodial, fines)
After a guilty verdict, the court will decide on a sentence. The sentence can be one of the following types:
Community sentence:
A community sentence combines punishment with activities carried out in the community. This type of sentence aims to rehabilitate offenders and reduce the risk of reoffending.
Discharge:
Discharges are only given in a small minority of cases that involve less serious offences.
A discharge can be absolute or conditional.
An absolute discharge means the court has decided that a punishment is not necessary.
A conditional discharge means the offender will not be sentenced unless they commit another crime within a specified period. If the offender commits another crime, they will be sentenced for the first crime and any new offences.
A fine and/or compensation:
Fines are one of the most common forms of punishment and are used for a range of offences.
A fine is when an offender is ordered to pay a certain amount that is decided by the court. The amount is determined by how serious the offence is and how much the offender can pay.
An offender can also be ordered to pay compensation. The amount is set by the court and is separate to any fines they have been ordered to pay. Compensation is often paid in instalments and collected by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
Suspended sentence:
A suspended sentence is when a court imposes a sentence that is delayed. This means the offender will not go to prison and instead must carry out their sentence in the community while complying with certain conditions. These conditions can include unpaid community work, curfews and rehabilitation programmes.
If the offender breaks these conditions, or commits another offence, they can be sent to prison to serve their original sentence.
Custodial sentence:
A custodial sentence involves the offender being sent to prison for a specified period of time. Custodial sentences are reserved for the most serious offences and where there is a need to protect the public.
