MoJ to pilot Intensive Supervision Courts

The initiative will see judges monitoring progress of offenders serving community sentences.

A new pilot will see judges monitoring offenders’ progress during their community sentences while the Probation Service also provides intense supervision.

Launched in Liverpool and Teesside this week, the Intensive Supervision Courts will mean judges ordering offenders to attend regular review meetings to check they are meeting the requirements of their sentence. Birmingham Magistrates’ Court will also be in the pilot focusing on female offenders and the underlying issues which drive their offending.

At the same time, offenders will receive intensive supervision from the Probation Service – including frequent and random drug testing.

Failure to engage, continued substance misuse or refusal to attend the follow-on meetings with the judge could mean the offender faces increased drug testing or is sent to prison. Judges will also use privileges such as relaxing conditions to recognise good progress.

Offenders will further have access to specialist drug and alcohol treatment and support with accessing education, employment and housing.

Similar schemes have already launched internationally and trialled in the UK, including successful initiatives in the West Midlands.

Phil Bowen, Director for the Centre of Justice Innovation said: "These pilot courts offer a real opportunity to provide an intense, alternative sentence to custody for people whose offending is linked to substance use and other complex needs.

“The evidence suggests that, by combining wraparound supervision with regular judicial oversight which holds people and services to account, we can make a material difference to offending. These pilots allow us to test the effectiveness of these approaches in order to inform decisions on any potential wider roll-out."