MPs accuse MoJ of dragging its heels over women in prison

The report starts by setting out the facts and figures about women in prison. Women represent less than 5% of the total prison population. They are often sentenced to custody for non-violent, low-level but persistent offences, and are more likely than men to be sentenced for short periods of time.… The House of Commons Justice Select Committee has raised concerns about the lack of progress in the MoJ's female offender strategy in a report published today....

Arresting the entry of women in the justice system

A new (last Thursday) briefing by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Women in the Penal System (APPG) reveals that arrests of women were reduced by 6 per cent over the course of three years – from 98,902 in 2017-18 to 93,225 in 2020-21. This is the last of four… Work with offenders on a new report from the All Parliamentary Group on Women in the Penal System ...

Government invests in prison and probation drug treatment

When the government published its 10-year drug strategy “From Harm to Hope” last December, many commentators pointed out an usual lack of detail for such a major document with many sections characterised by aspirations and commitments rather than detailed plans. However, this week, we have seen that the Government is… The Ministry of Justice has announced £120 million investment in drug treatment for people in prison and on probation....

Online learning maintains probation service divide, says NAPO Chair

There is a gulf between staff who work for the National Probation Service and those from private sector Community Rehabilitation Companies, according to the chair of National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO). She said that since the reunification of the Probation Service the fact that learning and development offered to… Online learning is preserving the gulf between staff that came from the National Probation Service and those from private CRCs the London Assembly has heard. ...

Parole board holding up under pressure

Yesterday the Parole Board published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2021/22. This is, of course, something which, like many public bodies, it is required by law to do and, most years, the report would be a pretty dull year. However, this has not been a normal year for the… The Parole Board's annual report shines a light on how it has coped during a difficult year...

50% increase in number of ex-offenders finding work quickly

Since April 2021, the percentage of those leaving prison who find employment within six weeks has been gradually increasing. In July 2021, it stood at 10.4 per cent, compared with 15.5 per cent in March of this year.  Meanwhile, cumulative figures show that between July 2021 and March 2022, 3,863… The MoJ has released statistics which show that the number of former offenders finding work within six weeks of release has increased by almost 50% between last July and March of this year. ...

Government to reduce demand for drugs by targeting recreational users

The title of the white paper: “Swift, Certain, Tough” makes the government’s intentions pretty clear although whether the current Home Secretary Priti Patel will be in place to see it through obviously depends on the outcome of the current elections for Conservative leader and Prime Minister. A Three-Tier approach The… The Home Office has just published a white paper dedicated to reducing demand for drugs by introducing new “consequences” for the possession of recreational ones....

Government to trial drug courts

Three ‘Problem-Solving Courts’ (PSCs) are being piloted as part of the Government’s new 10-year Drug Strategy, “From harm to hope”, based on evidence that this approach will most effectively turn such offenders away from crime and protect the public. The Government employs its usual robust rhetoric, saying that the courts… The Ministry of Justice has announced new problem-solving courts designed to tackle crime committed by offenders with drug and/or alcohol problems....

MAPPA arrangements are under-used

The three main criminal justice inspectorates  (HM Inspectorate of Probation, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons) have today published a joint inspection report which concludes that currently MAPPA is under-used and inconsistently applied. MAPPA is the process through which various agencies such… Work with offenders examines a new joint inspection report into the management of high risk offenders....

Most magistrates say remote links make communication more difficult

The Chief of the Magistrate’s Association, Tom Franklin, has said that the move to remote hearings “is something that concerns us”.  He clarified that he wasn’t saying that there isn’t a place for remote hearings, but that the “headlong rush into it without proper research” was a concern.  From a… 76 per cent of magistrates gave remote hearings the thumbs down during a Justice Committee panel on adult custodial remand. ...