On a visit to the Liverpool Community Justice Centre, Straw backed non-custodial sentences, saying they can also be a more effective punishment than a spell in jail. "I'm not trying to do magistrates' job for them," he added. "I'm just keen to highlight that alternatives are available in those cases where the court concludes that a custodial sentence is not required." The Liverpool Community Justice Centre was the first of its kind in England and Wales when it opened in 2005. It...