Online Punishment Checks For Local Crimes
People might soon be able to find out online how crimes committed in their area are being punished. Skip related content
Users would enter their postcode into a website to find out sentences relevant to their community and could also be able to search by the offender's name or the type of crime.
It means residents will be able to see which burglars and other criminals have targeted their neighbourhoods and what punishments they were given upon conviction.
The justice mapping site currently uses dummy information but could become a reality if it is successful.
The website is one of several measures designed to give communities more say in the way justice is delivered in their local areas, as well as making local criminal justice agencies more accountable.
Some of the initiatives, outlined in the Engaging Communities In Criminal Justice Green Paper, will be piloted in 30 areas across England and Wales.
They include introducing community impact statements so that local people can give their views on the effects of crimes in their area.
The Government will also be consulting on using "restorative justice" with adults.
Police have already used the technique with young offenders, confronting them with the consequences of their actions and giving them the chance to make amends to their victims.
The Government also plans to recruit magistrates from a wider range of backgrounds by looking at ways to make it easier for people working full-time to join the bench.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said: "The package we are announcing represents a fundamental shift towards giving communities more of a say in the justice system.
"People must have more influence in how justice is delivered in their villages, towns and cities."
The website has the support of civil rights group Liberty.
A spokesman told Sky News: "This is a world away from the dangerous mob justice of requiring people to wear degrading uniforms or anything that whips up violence instead of preventing it."
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