In England and Wales, maximum sentences for indictable offenses are relatively high. Efforts are being made to encourage the establishment of sentence ranges or determinate sentences, but there is no indication that such efforts will be successful. Although the average length of prison sentences has decreased in recent years, courts are sentencing more people to immediate imprisonment. Reformatory sentences for young adults are indeterminate, from 6 months to 2 years; the average stay of 9-10 months is followed by a 1-year statutory supervision probation period. In general, fines constitute the most frequently used form of punishment, especially for summary offenses. Other sanctions include junior and adult detention, probation, community service, deferred and suspended sentences, ancillary orders that enable victims to recover stolen goods without recourse to civil proceedings, parole, aftercare, and supervision. Fines, community service, and suspended sentences represent key alternatives to incarceration in the United Kingdom. These alternatives, however, are used in only about half of the possible cases, and 3 percent of the average daily prison population is comprised of fine defaulters. 138 references, 6 tables.