Gambling related crime and sentencing with consideration to treatment need and treatment pathways in the criminal justice system in England and Wales
Session Title
Session 3-4-A: Problem Gambling and Crime
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation
Location
Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV
Start Date
25-5-2023 3:30 PM
End Date
25-5-2023 5:00 PM
Disciplines
Criminology | Public Administration | Social Policy
Abstract
This paper draws on research across England and Wales with sentencers, criminal justice staff, stakeholders, prisoners and people living in the community with lived experience of gambling and committing crime. The aim of the research was to ascertain prevalence of gambling harms and therapeutic need within the criminal justice system and to identify current sentencing practices and therapeutic pathways. Survey findings from 656 magistrates in England and Wales identified that understanding of gambling-related-crime was low to average. Focus group data collection with 26 magistrates established that a change in British sentencing guidance was needed to allow for mitigation and better therapeutic pathways when a person has offended due to gambling debts and addiction. The most common crimes associated to gambling addiction identified by sentencers from their courtroom experiences were property offences, breaches of trust from workplaces and domestic abuse. Criminal justice stakeholders (N=21 via world cafe) further advocated that reforms were needed to sentencing and therapeutic provision. This paper will then share provisional findings from survey research with prisoners and those on probation license in England and Wales and also and in-depth case study from the West Midlands region to better understand therapeutic need and pathways within the criminal justice system.
Keywords
gambling harms, prison, probation, UK, sentencing, therapeutic pathways
Funding Sources
Howard League for Penal Reform commissioned our sentencer research https://howardleague.org/commission-on-crime-and-problem-gambling/research-commissions/research-commission-sentencing/ GamCare is funding our work with HMPPS
Competing Interests
NA
Gambling related crime and sentencing with consideration to treatment need and treatment pathways in the criminal justice system in England and Wales
Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV
This paper draws on research across England and Wales with sentencers, criminal justice staff, stakeholders, prisoners and people living in the community with lived experience of gambling and committing crime. The aim of the research was to ascertain prevalence of gambling harms and therapeutic need within the criminal justice system and to identify current sentencing practices and therapeutic pathways. Survey findings from 656 magistrates in England and Wales identified that understanding of gambling-related-crime was low to average. Focus group data collection with 26 magistrates established that a change in British sentencing guidance was needed to allow for mitigation and better therapeutic pathways when a person has offended due to gambling debts and addiction. The most common crimes associated to gambling addiction identified by sentencers from their courtroom experiences were property offences, breaches of trust from workplaces and domestic abuse. Criminal justice stakeholders (N=21 via world cafe) further advocated that reforms were needed to sentencing and therapeutic provision. This paper will then share provisional findings from survey research with prisoners and those on probation license in England and Wales and also and in-depth case study from the West Midlands region to better understand therapeutic need and pathways within the criminal justice system.
Comments
This is the final report for the Howard League for Penal Reform on our sentencing research https://howardleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Sentencers-report-FINAL-Online.pdf