The Commission has been asked by the Government to examine the need for reforms to the appeals system, to ensure that the courts have the right powers to enable the effective, efficient and appropriate resolution of appeals. The Law Commission The Law Commission is a non-political independent body created by… The Law Commission of England and Wales has today announced that it will launch a wide-ranging review of the laws governing appeals for criminal cases. ...
Just Get on with it A research team from the University of Lincoln (led by Dr Lauren Smith) conducted a qualitative exploration of the health and wellbeing of prison operational managers and Governor grades on behalf of the Prison Governors Association (PGA). The researchers interviewed 63 PGA members to explore… New research shines a fascinating light on just how stressful a job being a prison governor is. ...
Its purpose is to “promote discussion on issues related to the work of the Prison Service, the wider criminal justice system and associated fields”. The Journal is published every two months at HMP Leyhill and is sent to every Prison Service establishment in England and Wales. Staff don’t have to… If you are interested in the latest penal research, then the Prison Service Journal should be top of your list. The PSJ (as it is widely known) is a peer reviewed journal published by HM Prison Service of England and Wales....
Crest Advisory and Forensic Analytics have just published the latest bulletin from their research project on the role of technology in ‘county lines’ – the name given to drug dealing where urban gangs or organised crime groups (OCGs) move drugs around the country, usually from cities to smaller towns and… Creative uses of new technologies are enabling county lines gangs to stay one step ahead of law enforcement. ...
The 16-space Bella Centre unit will open on August 1 in Dundee. The building has no bars on the windows, no barbed wire or high walls. It will include ‘shared house-style’ accommodation with communal living spaces. Women staying there will have responsibility for their own personal care, laundry and housekeeping. … The unit will focus on “custody in the community” where women will be supported to live independently in a form of shared accommodation. ...
The Judge passing sentence on Ben Oliver (who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his grandfather in south London) will, probably, be filmed and the result broadcast on TV and made available online. Judge Sarah Munro QC will decide whether to permit broadcasting of her sentencing remarks this morning and,… Another in a long line of historic events will take place at the Old Bailey today. ...
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....
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 ...
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....
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. ...