Yesterday (18 August 2022), Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) published its latest quarterly workforce statistics, showing staffing levels at the end of June this year. They make for pretty grim reading. The main concern is a big jump in the number of staff leaving both services. Prison staffing… Attrition rates for the probation and prison service are causing growing concern....
Today’s edition of the quarterly criminal justice statistics for England and Wales (covering the year up to 31 March 2022) show that while business at the courts is increasing, it is still a long way from getting back to normal. Headlines 1.36 million individuals were dealt with by the criminal… There has been a significant change in the profile of offences going through the courts over the last two years....
The Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab recently issued new rules which prohibits probation staff from offering explicit recommendations (either for or against release) when they submit reports to the parole board. The rules were followed up by new guidance attempting to restrict probation officers’ ability to answer… Regular readers, particularly anyone involved in the world of probation, will be aware of the recent major changes taking place in the parole process. ...
What are separation centres? The Separation Centre model was introduced in 2017 as one part of the government’s response to a review into the management of extremism within the prison estate. The aim was to prevent prisoners with extreme views from radicalising their fellow inmates, presenting a risk to national… The Prison Inspectorate has today published its first ever inspection into two separation centres – which hold very small numbers of prisoners with extreme views to prevent them radicalising their fellow inmates....
The Commission has been asked by the Government to examine the need for reforms to the appeals system, to ensure that the courts have the right powers to enable the effective, efficient and appropriate resolution of appeals. The Law Commission The Law Commission is a non-political independent body created by… The Law Commission of England and Wales has today announced that it will launch a wide-ranging review of the laws governing appeals for criminal cases. ...
Just Get on with it A research team from the University of Lincoln (led by Dr Lauren Smith) conducted a qualitative exploration of the health and wellbeing of prison operational managers and Governor grades on behalf of the Prison Governors Association (PGA). The researchers interviewed 63 PGA members to explore… New research shines a fascinating light on just how stressful a job being a prison governor is. ...
Its purpose is to “promote discussion on issues related to the work of the Prison Service, the wider criminal justice system and associated fields”. The Journal is published every two months at HMP Leyhill and is sent to every Prison Service establishment in England and Wales. Staff don’t have to… If you are interested in the latest penal research, then the Prison Service Journal should be top of your list. The PSJ (as it is widely known) is a peer reviewed journal published by HM Prison Service of England and Wales....
Crest Advisory and Forensic Analytics have just published the latest bulletin from their research project on the role of technology in ‘county lines’ – the name given to drug dealing where urban gangs or organised crime groups (OCGs) move drugs around the country, usually from cities to smaller towns and… Creative uses of new technologies are enabling county lines gangs to stay one step ahead of law enforcement. ...
The 16-space Bella Centre unit will open on August 1 in Dundee. The building has no bars on the windows, no barbed wire or high walls. It will include ‘shared house-style’ accommodation with communal living spaces. Women staying there will have responsibility for their own personal care, laundry and housekeeping. … The unit will focus on “custody in the community” where women will be supported to live independently in a form of shared accommodation. ...
The Judge passing sentence on Ben Oliver (who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his grandfather in south London) will, probably, be filmed and the result broadcast on TV and made available online. Judge Sarah Munro QC will decide whether to permit broadcasting of her sentencing remarks this morning and,… Another in a long line of historic events will take place at the Old Bailey today. ...