Judge for Yourself

This really is an excellent resource which illustrates in compelling fashion the role of the probation service using video clips and a great interactive section where students can choose the questions to interview offenders. They then have to complete an assessment of the risks of harm and reoffending posed by the offender, leading students ultimately to consider which sentencing aims should be prioritised.

For teaching purposes, the best bit is perhaps where students are asked to complete a sentencing recommendation to the court.

This brings the various types of sentence nicely into play as students have to consider the various alternatives and come up with a sensible recommendation, which can then be compared to the “real” sentence. All in all a top teaching resource!