PROBATION

Which is more effective: prisons or probation?

Watch the following feature on a community payback scheme for minor offenders:

Some people argue that probation is an "easy" punishment and would prefer offenders to be sent to prison.

In circumstances where the safety of the public is at risk, it is often believed that custodial sentences are preferable.

However, even with some lesser offences, there is one group of people which often would prefer to see offenders locked up in jail.

Jenny Willoughby from Victim Support based in Bournemouth said: "It depends on the nature of the crime, but some people definitely feel safer if someone is on remand or in custody because it means they can't harm them again."

Reform organisations would like to see short term prison sentences for minor offences scrapped and replaced with more community based punishments. Click here to read their arguments.

Watch this video to see what Dorset Probation Workers think about community punishment: