Yesterday evening the former Prime Minister, Sir John Major delivered a speech at the Old Bailey in which he set out his case for penal reform. In a Prison Reform Trust lecture, Sir John acknowledged that the problems now being faced within the penal system have intensified over many governments,… “We over-use prison and under value alternative sentences”...
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) was founded in 2004 by the former Conservative Party leader Ian Duncan Smith. Although it describes itself as an independent think tank, it, quite naturally has very close links with the Conservative Government. Indeed, the Prisons, Parole and Probation Minister, Damian Hinds, has authored… A new report published today by the Centre for Social Justice looks at addressing our national labour shortage by using the mainly untapped workforce currently in prison...
The latest Safety in the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE) statistical bulletin makes for a worrying read. The headline figures which cover children and young people in Secure Children Homes (SCH), Secure Training Centres (STCs) and Youth Offender Institutions (YOIs) are set out below. To put things in… Worrying assault and self harm figures covering the Children and Young People Secure Estate have been published ...
Convicted terrorists will no longer be able to take leading roles in religious services and face more rigorous check for extremist literature. The new measures are aimed at preventing radicalisation within prisons and follow Jonathan Hall’s review ‘Terrorism in Prison’ published last year. As a consequence, terrorists will no longer… The new measures will include a ban on convicted terrorists taking leading roles in religious services of all faiths. ...
Sexual violence can take many forms, including rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. It is important to be aware of the signs of sexual violence, which can include physical injuries, changes in behaviour, or emotional distress. Rape: A person (A) commits an offence of rape if: he intentionally penetrates the… Continuing a series of articles for WWO, Anjum Mouj says Identifying and responding to sexual violence is crucial to providing support and justice to survivors. ...
The new “Academic Insight” report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation is authored by Mairéad Seymour from Technological University Dublin and focuses on compliance and strategies that pro-actively support and encourage substantive compliance by children and young people. The Academic Insight series is aimed at people interested in research and developments… Research shows that for many youth offenders the threat of a return to court for being non-compliant holds limited power and alternative approaches are required. ...
Every prison officer in England and Wales now has access to a body-worn video camera while on shift. Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk has announced that 13,000 new cameras are now available across public sector prisons in his first week in post. The new devices have doubled the total number across… 13,000 additional cameras have been made available for prison officers while they are on shift. ...
HM Chief Inspector of prisons has issued an Urgent Notification to the Secretary of State for Justice, demanding immediate action to improve the conditions in which children are being held at Cookham Wood Young Offenders Institution in Kent. What is an Urgent Notification? The Urgent Notification (UN) protocol requires the… Chief prison inspector demands urgent action after finding boys kept in solitary confinement...
Yesterday the Howard League’s Commission on Crime and Gambling Related Harms published its final report. The report calls for a “greater central drive” from the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, together with more funding to be provided locally and regionally, to develop a treatment and support infrastructure through the police,… The Commission recommends the creation of a national board to address crime linked to gambling – including senior representatives from the police...
Through this project a unique group of young adults were formed with lived experience of the justice system and care system, to become policy advisors and advocates for lived experience voices and change at the national level. The group has published a range of resources created by teams of young… The Young Justice Advisors was created in 2016 with funding from the Barrow Cadbury Trust by Leaders Unlocked. ...