‘Transforming rehabilitation’ for women? A view from the courts

Coming into force next year, the Coalition government’s Transforming Rehabilitation agenda will (amongst other things) extend supervision to offenders released from short-term sentences and open up probation services to new private providers. As seventy per cent of women sentenced to custody receive sentences of less than twelve months (Seal and Phoenix 2013: 168; see also Cabinet Office 2009; Gelsthorpe and Sharpe 2009), four out of every five of short sentences for women are passed by magistrates (Hedderman 2012: 5). Why women offenders are more likely than men to receive immediate custody from magistrates stimulates widespread debate in both academia and practice (see for example Corston 2007; Hedderman 2012; Hunter and Radcliffe 2013; Howard League 2013a). There is also increasing concern that the introduction of a “criminal justice market” (Gelsthorpe and Hedderman 2012: 375) will bring more risks than benefits to existing provision (ibid; see also Prison Reform Trust 2013; Women in Prison 2013; Howard League 2013b). As part of this on-going conversation, it is important to seek the viewpoints of those who are best placed to answer. In this extremely timely and policy-relevant issue of the British Journal of Community Justice, it is crucial, therefore, to have a view from the courts

'We have no awareness of what they actually do': Magistrates' knowledge of and confidence in community sentences for women offenders in England and Wales

In its Strategic Objectives for Female Offenders (2013) the Coalition government reiterated its support for robust and effective sentencing options that enable the majority of non-violent women offenders to be punished in the community. While a laudable ambition, this strategy will only be successful if sentencers are aware of (and support) the options available to achieve this goal. Considering government policy in relation to current levels of awareness among the magistracy, this article explores the factors that influence sentencing decisions for women. Highlighting reservations about the suitability of community provision, it also reveals the lack of information and training that magistrates receive on this issue. While there is certainly a willingness to learn and consider more creative options when sentencing women, it is clear that better knowledge of the offender and the options available are needed. Drawing on empirical research conducted with 168 magistrates in England and Wales, this article concludes with a number of practical avenues for improved communication, advocated by magistrates themselves. With many unaware of strategic direction on this issue, the implications for policy and practice are obvious

Influencing the Penal Agenda? The Justice Select Committee and ‘Transforming Justice’, 2010–15

This article assesses the policy influence of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee, established to oversee the work of the Ministry of Justice following its creation a decade ago. The Committee has, from the outset, overseen many contentious policy and legislative developments in the penal field, although none so extensive as those introduced following the formation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition government in 2010. Despite the newsworthy nature of its business, the Committee has, to some extent, operated in the shadows of its high-profile sister, the Home Affairs Select Committee, and has received surprisingly limited attention from criminologists and political scientists alike. Forming part of a wider investigation into the work of the Committee, this article examines the extent to which it was able to influence penal developments during the Coalition years. This period is of particular interest given that it heralded the end of the New Labour administration and welcomed the ‘fresh thinking’ of a Coalition leadership keen to emphasise its progressive attitude towards law and order. While the Committee was able to influence the direction of penal policy on several occasions this mostly occurred as a result of its proactive or niche inquiries. The Committee had less impact when conducting inquiries that assessed the government’s flagship policy agenda, however. Such findings brought into question the ability of the Committee to influence the most significant justice transformations in this era of new penal governance

Harnessing microbial volatiles to replace pesticides and fertilizers

Global agricultural systems are under increasing pressure to deliver sufficient, healthy food for a growing population. Seasonal inputs, including synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, are applied to reduce losses by pathogens, and enhance crop biomass, although their production and application can also incur several economic and environmental penalties. New solutions are therefore urgently required to enhance crop yield whilst reducing dependence on these seasonal inputs. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) produced by soil microorganisms may provide alternative solutions, due to their ability to inhibit fungal pathogens, induce plant resistance against pathogens, and enhance plant growth promotion. This review will highlight recent advances in our understanding of these biological activities of microbial VOCs (mVOCs), providing perspectives on research required to develop them into viable alternatives to current unsustainable seasonal inputs. This can identify potential new avenues for mVOC research and stimulate discussion across the academic community 25 and agri-business sector

Novel use of stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) as a tool for isolation of oviposition site attractants for gravid Culex quinquefasciatus

Mosquitoes such as Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae) are important vectors of organisms that cause disease in humans. Research into the development of effective standardized odour baits for blood-fed females (oviposition attractants), to enable entomological monitoring of vector populations, is hampered by complex protocols for extraction of physiologically active volatile chemicals from natural breeding site water samples, which have produced inconsistent results. Air entrainment and solvent extraction are technically demanding methods and are impractical for use in resource poor environments where mosquito-borne disease is most prevalent. This study reports the first use of a simple, robust extraction technique, stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), to extract behaviourally active small lipophilic molecules (SLMs) present in water samples collected from Cx. quinquefasciatus breeding sites in Tanzania. Extracts from a pit latrine and from a cess pool breeding site attracted more gravid Cx. quinquefasciatus in pair choice bioassays than control extracts, and coupled gas chromatography-electroantennography (GC-EAG) allowed tentative identification of 15 electrophysiologically active chemicals, including the known oviposition attractant, skatole (3-methylindole). Here, we have demonstrated, using simple pair choice bioassays in controlled laboratory conditions, that SBSE is effective for the extraction of behaviourally and electrophysiologically active semiochemicals from mosquito breeding site waters. Further research is required to confirm that SBSE is an appropriate technique for use in field surveys in the search for oviposition cues for Cx. quinquefasciatus

Solvent extraction of PDMS tubing as a new method for the capture of volatile organic compounds from headspace

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tubing is increasingly being used to collect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from static biological headspace. However, analysis of VOCs collected using PDMS tubing often deploys thermal desorption, where samples are considered as ‘one-offs’ and cannot be used in multiple experiments. In this study, we developed a static headspace VOC collection method using PDMS tubing which is solvent-based, meaning that VOC extracts can be used multiple times and can be linked to biological activity. Using a synthetic blend containing a range of known semiochemicals (allyl isothiocyanate, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, 1-octen-3-one, nonanal, (E)-anethol, (S)-bornyl acetate, (E)-caryophyllene and pentadecane) with differing chemical and physicochemical properties, VOCs were collected in static headspace by exposure to PDMS tubing with differing doses, sampling times and lengths. In a second experiment, VOCs from oranges were collected using PDMS sampling of static headspace versus dynamic headspace collection. VOCs were eluted with diethyl ether and analysed using gas chromatography – flame ionization detector analysis and coupled GC – mass spectrometry analysis. GC-FID analysis of collected samples showed that longer PDMS tubes captured significantly greater quantities of compounds than shorter tubes, and that sampling duration significantly altered the recovery of all tested compounds. Moreover, greater quantities of compounds were recovered from closed compared to open systems. Finally, analysis of orange headspace VOCs showed only a few qualitative differences in VOCs recovered compared to dynamic headspace collections, although quantities sampled using PDMS tubing were lower. In summary, extraction of PDMS tubing with diethyl ether solvent captures VOCs from the headspace of synthetic blends and biological samples, and the resulting extracts can be used for multiple experiments linking VOC content to biological activity

Recent progress in the synthesis of homotropane alkaloids adaline, euphococcinine and N-methyleuphococcinine

The 9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane ring system is present in several insect- and plant-derived alkaloids. (−)-Adaline (1) and (+)-euphococcinine (2), found in secretions of Coccinelid beetles, and (+)-N-methyleuphococcinine (3), isolated from the Colorado blue spruce Picea pungens, are members of this alkaloid family. Their unique bicyclic system with a quaternary stereocenter, and the potent biological activity exerted by these homotropane alkaloids, make them attractive synthetic targets. This work aims briefly to review the chemical ecology of Adalia bipunctata and the recent methodologies to obtain adaline (1), euphococcinine (2), and N-methyleuphococcinine (3)

Phylogeography of the Endangered Otago Skink, Oligosoma otagense: Population Structure, Hybridisation and Genetic Diversity in Captive Populations

Climatic cooling and substantial tectonic activity since the late Miocene have had a pronounced influence on the evolutionary history of the fauna of New Zealand's South Island. However, many species have recently experienced dramatic range reductions due to habitat fragmentation and the introduction of mammalian predators and competitors. These anthropogenic impacts have been particularly severe in the tussock grasslands of the Otago region. The Otago skink (Oligosoma otagense), endemic to the region, is one of the most critically endangered vertebrates in New Zealand. We use mitochondrial DNA sequence data to investigate the evolutionary history of the Otago skink, examine its population genetic structure, and assess the level of genetic diversity in the individuals in the captive breeding program. Our data indicate that the Otago skink diverged from its closest relatives in the Miocene, consistent with the commencement of tectonic uplift of the Southern Alps. However, there is evidence for past introgression with the scree skink (O. waimatense) in the northern Otago-southern Canterbury region. The remnant populations in eastern Otago and western Otago are estimated to have diverged in the mid-Pliocene, with no haplotypes shared between these two regions. This divergence accounts for 95% of the genetic diversity in the species. Within both regions there is strong genetic structure among populations, although shared haplotypes are generally evident between adjacent localities. Although substantial genetic diversity is present in the captive population, all individuals originate from the eastern region and the majority had haplotypes that were not evident in the intensively managed populations at Macraes Flat. Our data indicate that eastern and western populations should continue to be regarded as separate management units. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of the breeding stock will act to inform the captive management of the Otago skink and contribute to a key recovery action for the species