This book aims to make clear the interconnections between social policy and criminal justice practice, bringing together key social policy concepts within a framework for reducing reoffending rates. The book focuses on the key social policy issues of employment, health and mental health, low income and poverty, housing and family. It shows how understanding and treating these as issues interconnected to criminal justice outcomes can and does lead to improvements in criminal justice practice. This book enables students and criminal justice practitioners to understand how a social policy focus can better inform practice with those involved in the criminal justice system. It features: • a 10 point summary of key points for learning; • chapter heading questions to support independent learning; • tables and graphs to illustrate the text.Changes in government policy – for example, benefit sanctions – demonstrably impact on public involvement with the criminal justice system (CJS). Exploring the important interrelationship between social policy, criminology and criminal justice, this book enables students and criminal justice practitioners to understand how social policy concepts can better inform practice with those involved in the CJS.