The Sentencing Council’s draft guidelines, published this week, also cover the rising use of ‘spice’ and new offences under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
The draft guidelines introduce culpability factors, which may lower sentences for offenders where coercion has taken place. The exploitation of children and vulnerable people (known as ‘clean skins’) to transport drugs across county lines cities to smaller towns is a growing problem. Vulnerable people can also be exploited through ‘cuckooing’, where dealers take over their home.
The 12-week drugs offences consultation ends on 7 April 2020.
The Sentencing Council also released research this week into supply-related offences in the Crown Court between 2012 and 2015. It showed Asian offenders were 1.5 times and Black offenders were 1.4 times more likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence than White offenders.
Sentencing Council Chairman Lord Justice Holroyde said: ‘More vulnerable people including children are being exploited either through grooming or coercion.’
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