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...

Probation reunification one year on

Yesterday, one year on from probation reunification, the Institute for Government think tank brought together a panel comprising MoJ Executive Director for the Probaton Reform Programme, Jim Barton, Executive Director at the Interventions Alliance, Suki Binning, and the Head of Probation Inspection Programme at HM Inspectorate of Probation, Linda Neimantas. … Two and a half thousand trainee probation officers have been recruited in the past two years, and the service is currently recruiting at scale for unpaid work supervisors. The Inspectorate however has said that development training needs to be looked at. ...

The Prison Radio Association

The first prison radio station was launched at Feltham YOI in 1994 when, after a rise in incidences of self-harm and suicides, two local residents, Roma Hooper (now Chair of Trustees at Clinks, the criminal justice voluntary sector infrastructure organisation) and Mark Robinson (an advertising executive who is still involved… Work with offenders profiles a charity which provides a valuable lifeline to people in prison...

Concerns the probation service is still struggling post-unification

In addition to managing all offenders, the National Probation Service also now deliver unpaid work, accredited programmes and other interventions.  Now however, one year on from the changes, representatives from the voluntary sector and community groups in London have said that difficulties remain with pre-sentence reports, sentence management and resettlement. … A group of rehabilitation and offender management services have spoken out over the work that still needs to be done post the reunification of the probation service. ...

Prisoners & PhDs: the organisation enabling greater access to further education

Following a successful pilot across 2021/22 which involved 50 students across 12 prisons on four different courses, the organisation is now preparing for their next academic year of study – with a target of 100 students.  By encouraging links between prisons and universities, DWRM looks to enable prisoners to study… DWRM ‘Doing What Really Matters’ is a social enterprise working to improve prisoners’ access to further and higher education, as well as supporting people to continue studying when they are released. ...

Review calls for wider access to Naloxone for prison leavers

Prison services need to ensure leavers who at high-risk of overdosing have access to naloxone the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has said.  The review said that the current supply of take-home naloxone is “fragmented” and that only a small proportion of opioid dependent prison leavers are provided… A review completed by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has acknowledged its ability to save lives and has now said there should be more availability for prison leavers....

Enormous court backlogs a fundamental challenge to justice

In her annual report published today, the Victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, reflects on what she calls a “turbulent” year for the criminal justice system. The main challenges she highlights include: violence against women and girls (VAWG), the loss of trust in the police for many women and the scrutiny… Work with offenders on the Victims’ Commissioner’s annual report....

Sobriety tagging set to double in the next two years

The number of sobriety tags issued is set to double within the next two years following the recent release of positive statistics. Legislation introduced in May 2020 meant that offenders who were under the influence of alcohol when they committed a crime could be fitted with a sobriety tag to… The latest statistics show that the compliance rate of those fitted with tags to monitor their alcohol consumption was 97.2%. ...

We need to talk about serious crime

The Commission is chaired by Bishop James Jones, former Bishop of Liverpool and of Prisons, and former Chair of the Hillsborough Independent Panel. Its expert panel members include the founder of the Forgiveness Project Marina Cantacuzino; public health expert Dr Bill Kirkup; criminal barrister Michelle Nelson QC; former chief executive… The Independent Commission into the Experience of Victims and Long-term Prisoners has today called for a fundamental reassessment of the policy and practice of sentencing for the most serious of crimes. ...