Research and analysis publications

Allocation, Offences Taken into Consideration and Totality

Analysis and research bulletin - Research into the allocation process and decision making [PDF 1.00mb]
March 2012
The Sentencing Council has undertaken research into decision making relating to the allocation of ‘triable either way’ cases to magistrates’ courts or Crown Court. This has been used to inform the development of a guideline on allocation.
Allocation, Offences Taken into Consideration and Totality - final resourse assessment [PDF 0.04mb]
March 2012
A resource assessment for the allocation, offences taken into consideration and totality guideline.
Allocation, Offences Taken into Consideration and Totality - final equality assessment [PDF 0.11mb]
March 2012
Allocation, Offences Taken Into Consideration and Totality - draft resource assessment [PDF 0.04mb]
A resource assessment for the consultation stage of the draft allocation, offences taken into consideration and totality guideline.

Assault guidelines

Assault definitive guideline - final resource assessment [PDF 0.19mb]
October 2010
A final resource assessment for the definitive assault offences guideline.
Assault definitive guideline - equality impact assessment [PDF 0.05mb]
October 2010

Burglary

Burglary definitive guideline - final resource assessment [PDF 0.05mb]
A final resource assessment for the definitive burglary offences guideline.
Burglary definitive guideline - equality impact assessment [PDF 0.05mb]
Burglary offences - draft resource assessment [PDF 0.05mb]
May 2011
A resource assessment for the consultation stage of the draft burglary offences guideline.
Analysis and research bulletin - burglary offences [PDF 0.89mb]
May 2011
A bulletin explaining current sentencing practice for burglary offences describing the context in which the consultation proposals are being made.
Analysis and research bulletin - burglary offences data tables [PDF 0.07mb]
May 2011

Crown Court Sentencing Survey

Crown Court Sentencing Survey experimental statistics, October 2010 to March 2011 - full report [PDF 1.03mb]
A report of the findings from the first six months of the survey. For further information on the Crown Court Sentencing Survey, why it is being conducted and what it aims to achieve, please visit the Crown Court Sentencing Survey page.
Crown Court Sentencing Survey statistics additional tables [PDF 0.15mb]
Guide to Crown Court Sentencing Survey statistics [PDF 0.65mb]
A supplementary guide which provides background information on the key factors taken into account when sentencing to help understand the context of the data presented in the CCSS report of findings.

Dangerous dogs

Dangerous dog offences - final resource assessment [PDF 0.10mb]
May 2012
A resource assessment for the dangerous dog offences guideline.
Dangerous dog offences - final equality impact assessment [PDF 0.05mb]
May 2012
Dangerous dog offences - draft resource assessment [PDF 0.04mb]
A resource assessment for the consultation stage of the draft dangerous dog offences guideline.
Research into sentencing dangerous dog offences [PDF 0.65mb]
The Sentencing Council has undertaken research into the sentencing of dangerous dog offences in order to inform the development of a guideline for these offences.
Research into sentencing dangerous dog offences - questionnaire [PDF 0.12mb]
Analysis and research bulletin - dangerous dog offences [PDF 0.69mb]
A bulletin explaining current sentencing practice for dangerous dog offences describing the context in which the consultation proposals are being made.
Analysis and research bulletin - data tables [PDF 0.07mb]

Drugs

Drug offences definitive guideline - Final resource assessment [PDF 0.12mb]
A final resource assessment for the defintive drug offences guideline.
Research into the effects of the draft drug offences guideline on sentencing practice [PDF 0.75mb]
This bulletin should also be read alongside the research materials presented in the accompanying appendices.
Research into the effects of the draft drug offences guideline - Appendices [PDF 0.09mb]
Analysis and research bulletin - drug offences [PDF 3.11mb]
March 2011
A bulletin explaining current sentencing practice for drug offences has been produced. The intention is to ensure that the context in which the consultation proposals are being made is clear.
Analysis and research bulletin - drug offences data tables [PDF 0.11mb]
March 2011
Drug offences - draft resource assessment [PDF 0.12mb]
March 2011
A resource assessment for the consultation stage of the draft drugs offences guideline.
Drug 'mules': twelve case studies [PDF 0.90mb]
March 2011
Case study interviews were carried out by the Office of the Sentencing Council with a small number of women currently imprisoned for unlawful importation of drugs (many acting as drug 'mules').
Public attitudes to the sentencing of drug offences [PDF 0.32mb]
March 2011
Qualitative research into public attitudes to sentencing for drug offences was conducted on behalf of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research.

General

Section 132 report (Coroners and Justice Act 2009): Resource Impact of the Government’s proposals on Suspended Sentence Orders [PDF 2.39mb]
At the request of the Lord Chancellor, the Sentencing Council has considered the resource effects of proposed changes to Suspended Sentence Orders (SSOs) contained in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.
Presentation - researchers and academics [PDF 0.22mb]
August 2011
This presentation, designed primarily for use by researchers and academics, provides an introduction to the role of the sentencing council and the history of sentencing guidelines in England and Wales.

Guilty pleas

Attitudes to guilty plea sentence reductions [PDF 0.82mb]
May 2011
Research into public attitudes to guilty plea sentence reductions was conducted on behalf of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales by Ipsos MORI.

Sexual offences

Attitudes to sentencing sexual offences [PDF 0.38mb]
March 2012
Research into attitudes to sentencing sexual offences from a group of the public and victims/survivors was conducted on behalf of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales by NatCen Social Research.