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. ...

Prison Chief Inspector frustrated at continued prison lockdown

Chief Prison Inspector Charlie Taylor made the publication of his 2021/22 annual report (laid before Parliament this morning) an opportunity to highlight two main issues: the continued situation where many prisoners are locked in their cells for 23 hours a day and ongoing staffing crisis. The report The annual report… Work with offenders looks at today’s Annual Report...

On the probation treadmill

Interesting new research by Matt Cracknell, a criminologist from Middlesex University, published in the latest edition of the European Journal of Probation, examines the impact on probation practitioners of supervising large numbers of people released on licence from short term prison sentences. Many readers will be aware that the government’s Transforming Rehabilitation programme… Work with offenders on new research on the pressures of being a probation officer...

New guide to improve education for children in custody

Educational provision in prisons and secure training centres is woefully inadequate for children in both quantity and quality, according to a new guide “Education inside penal detention for children in England: An overview”, published jointly by the Howard League for Penal Reform and Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA),… Work with offenders on a new publication from the Howard League...

Our prisoners are locked up with too little to do

The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, has used publication of two inspection reports on Category C prisons (HMP Brixton & HMP The Mount) to highlight the issue of a lack of purposeful activity provided across the prison estate. Category C prisons As most regular readers will know, all our… Work with offenders on renewed concerns from the Chief Prison Inspector...

What’s happening with the court backlogs?

In the week that Barristers in criminal cases have gone on strike, there is more attention than usual on the Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly bulletin which covers the first quarter of this year. It is claimed that as many as 80% of criminal trials were disrupted by the strike action… Work with offenders takes a close look at the latest official figures...

Parole hearings to be heard in public for the first time

The parole board will have the final say – with decisions due to take into account factors including the welfare of the victims.  The statutory instrument is being laid today which will mean the measure comes into effect from July 21.  The move comes following calls for greater transparency after… Law changes made today will mean that victims, members of the public and the media will be able to ask for a parole hearing to be heard in public. ...

Government moves to tackle rise in child remands

Yesterday the Youth Justice Policy Unit with the Ministry of Justice published a new circular setting out the amendments to the youth remand framework introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act 2022. The circular was only just in time as the implementation of the new measures also… Work with offenders on the detail of the changes to the youth remand framework...