28/07/2021
Police Oracle
Work with offenders looks at new initiatives to tackle the underlying causes of crime
In what media commentators are calling “Crime Week”, the Ministry of Justice today announced further details from its Beating Crime Plan focused on new initiatives to tackle the underlying causes of crime. Much of the rhetoric has featured the traditional Conservative party “tough on crime” language. In his foreword to the plan, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson adopted a very direct tone:
“I have always been absolutely determined to come down hard on the criminals who bring such misery to so many lives.”
Nevertheless, the plan itself is a mixed bag with initiatives aimed at early intervention and rehabilitation as well as prosecution and punishment.
Today’s MoJ press release focused more on the rehabilitative measures which have so far garnered few headlines with most commentators more concerned about the expansion of Stop and Search with the likely impact on community relations and the likely exacerbation of the current racial disparity in the criminal justice system.
The MoJ highlighted three key rehabilitative measures:
Housing for prison leavers
In January this year the government launched its Prison Leavers Project: a £20 million programme to develop innovative ways to reduce reoffending which includes pilot projects in 16 prisons to test new approaches to ensure offenders leave prison with the best chance of turning their backs on crime. See our detailed briefing on the project here.
The core of this approach is to put in place the foundations that offenders need to help them turn their backs on crime: somewhere to live, a job and access to treatment for substance misuse.
The housing problem for people leaving prison has grown steadily worse over recent years with official figures saying that in 2018/19, approximately 40% of adult prisoners were released to unsettled accommodation, rough sleeping, homeless or their accommodation status was unknown on their first night of release.
Last week the government launched a £20 million scheme to reduce the number of prisoners leaving prison homeless. The Beating Crime plan announces the introduction of a new provision of temporary accommodation and support for up to 12 weeks post-release for those leaving prison at risk of homelessness, initially in five probation areas in England.
Jobs for people with convictions
One of the key barriers to people with criminal convictions finding work is the reluctance of many employers to consider recruiting them. The MoJ is setting out to change attitudes with the Justice Secretary hosting a summit with leading employers in October to encourage more businesses to hire prison leavers who are determined to leave crime behind. The Government is keen to be seen to be leading the way and has announced plans to recruit at least 1,000 ex-offenders into the Civil Service by the end of 2023.
Investment in drug & alcohol treatment
Yesterday, the Government published its response to Dame Carol Black’s Review of Drugs in which she called for a big increase in investment in drug treatment and better government co-ordination. The Government has accepted many of Dame Carol’s recommendations and has announced the investment of an extra £31m to expand Project Adder which aims to combine tough law enforcement with increased provision of treatment and recovery services. This money will expand Project Adder to 8 new areas: Newcastle, Bristol, London's Hackney and Tower Hamlets, Wakefield, Liverpool, Knowsley and Wirral.