In this episode, we hear from Anouschka Rajah, Research and Analysis Manager at More in Common and joint author of the 2025 Course Correction report on public attitudes to criminal justice. More in Common was founded in the aftermath of the tragic murder of Jo Cox MP in 2016 and carries out public opinion research to inform politicians, policy makers and the media on how communities across the country view major issues facing society, including crime and justice.
Anouschka talks about the backlash politicians fear from the public by pushing ahead with reforms to the current justice system - they fear losing voters who will criticise changes they're announcing for being too soft on crime. She explains how being seen to be supporting anything other than the current status quo, or what is seen as public opinion, has the potential to create an electoral “nightmare”. She reminds politicians that “Twitter is not Britain” and that research shows the public are in fact a lot more nuanced than they get credit for.
Edwina and Anouschka agree the public have lost faith in the current system and talk about how most people don't want money to be spent on just building more prisons. They discuss the complexity of public opinions on crime and punishment, noting that the media often focuses on extreme cases with the debate appearing to be polarised. However, Anouschka confirms that focus groups show people actually want a case-by-case approach to sentencing - recognising the need for rehabilitative measures whilst also considering public safety. Women, especially mothers with families, are more likely to receive support for community sentences.
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