Key Insights from an Implementation Event for Police-Led Drug Diversion

I recently attended a police-led drug diversion (PDD) implementation event at the University of Sheffield, bringing together researchers, police stakeholders and the College of Policing to discuss findings from a major national evaluation. The research, conducted between 2022 and 2026 across 13 English police forces, provides compelling evidence for expanding… Could a nationally supported approach to drug diversion reduce reoffending, save millions in public money and free up resources to tackle more serious crime?...

Beyond the prison gate: why accommodation outcomes demand stronger resettlement support

The latest Ministry of Justice figures show that 83.3% of prison leavers in England and Wales were housed on the night following release in 2025/26, down from 84.0% the previous year. This measure has declined since 2021/22. At three months after release, 81.0% of eligible supervised cases were in settled… Falling rates of accommodation on release highlight the importance of coordinated resettlement services. Evidence from housing programmes, inspectors and frontline providers shows why securing a bed is only one stage in helping someone rebuild their life....

Thursday's early prison releases 'deeply concerning for victims' - PSA

Some 5,000 prisoners are scheduled to be released in stages over the next year, down from 6,000, after ministers intervened to exempt rapists and the most serious child sex offenders. The plan to free up capacity in the overcrowded male prison estate comes as figures show the number of people… Tomorrow (October 1), hundreds of prisoners will walk free as part of the expanded early release scheme (ERS), in the first wave of the Government’s controversial move to free up prison space. ...

Enforcement and Rehabilitation: A Balanced Response to Serious Organised Crime

The recent events in Middlesbrough have put a media spotlight on Serious Organised Crime (SOC). The tragic death of two police officers and five young men in a Road Traffic Collision led to a spate of arrests and unrest in the Middlesbrough area linked to Serious Organised Crime. But is… Moving beyond enforcement and disruption to support change in the people and communities affected by and involved in organised crime. By Aimee Howard...

Reflections on working with interpreters in trauma-informed practice

Rose Okoye is a Therapeutic Practitioner at The For Baby’s Sake Trust, where she has worked for over nine years. She began her journey as a Programme Officer, a role that provided her with valuable experience working with children affected by domestic abuse. Her academic background includes an undergraduate degree… By Rose Okoye and Hannah Davies...

Prisons will still function under plans to turn laundries into cells, Justice Secretary claims

He declined to confirm Tory claims that there are 700 fewer prison places than a year ago, noting that the estate “fluctuates” because of issues such as fire damage. Mr Norris was touring broadcast studios on Tuesday ahead of announcing in Parliament that the Government will speed up the building… Alex Norris, the Justice Secretary, said “hundreds of places” would be created by converting existing spaces inside prisons - like laundries - into accommodation....

'We are setting prisoners up to fail... they are placed in inappropriate homes after their release'

The number, according to a Guardian investigation in May, is the highest figure since records began in 2021, with many in the sector describing how releasing inmates back into society without accommodation was a main driver behind the deaths. Analysis also noted that reports from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman… New data has shown that in 2025, 77 people died within 14 days of being released from prison in England and Wales, which was a 28 percent increase on the previous 12 months....

Prison service 'now in crisis' as system is 'understaffed, underinvested in and overwhelmed'

The subject has become the centrepoint of criminal justice discussion after it emerged two people who killed Thames Valley Police’s PC Andrew Harper – Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers – were set to be released early. Cole and Bowers remain eligible for early release after their convictions for manslaughter a… Nick Smart, the president of the Police Superintendents' Association (PSA) has joined the growing number of voices to criticise the Government's early release scheme. ...

The quiet skill at the heart of domestic abuse work

Some of the most important work in domestic abuse happens quietly, away from the headlines. It is done by case managers, and it deserves far more recognition than it gets. Having spent my career in criminal justice, I have watched skilled case management transform outcomes in some of the most… Here, Jonathan Hussey, the Managing Director of Red Snapper Managed Services, reflects on the key skills needed to support domestic abuse work....

Probation service launches new recruitment drive to secure next generation of officers

Trainees complete the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) over 15, 21 or 27 months, depending on existing qualifications. Probation officers supervise people on probation, manage risk and support rehabilitation. They work across the justice system to tackle the root causes of reoffending, including substance misuse, housing instability and unemployment. The… The Government is recruiting an additional 1,300 trainee Probation Officers across 2026/27, on top of the 2,300 already pledged to be brought in since 2024. ...