The Sentencing Council has published a review that brings together evidence on the effectiveness of different sentencing options on reoffending. This was commissioned in response to the Council’s commitment in its Strategic Objectives 2021-2026 to “consider and collate evidence on effectiveness of sentencing” (Strategic Objectives 2021-2026) and to enable it to consider the most up-to-date evidence when developing and revising guidelines.

The review covers research related to various topics, including factors associated with reoffending and desistance; the (direct and indirect) costs of different types of sentences currently available in England and Wales and how sociodemographic characteristics impact these issues.

Research literature on sentencing over a period of 20 years (2002-2022) is reviewed, with a focus on the most recent evidence. The review strongly focused on literature in England and Wales, though findings from research conducted in other countries were considered to the extent they could be informative.