Clinks Members’ Policy Briefing | December 2014
In this month's edition...Policy news
Clinks’ response to the government’s consultation on the secure college rules The purpose of the secure college rules will be to set out the core parameters within which Secure Colleges will be required to operate to ensure that young people are detained safely and securely, and that their educational and rehabilitative needs are addressed. Clinks responded to the Ministry of Justice consultation on the secure college rules with a letter supporting the Prisoner Learning Alliance's (PLA) response also highlighting some additional points. The PLA’s response can be downloaded here.
Voices from the Frontline: listening to people with multiple needs and those who support them This report, published by the Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) Coalition, of which Clinks is one of the partners along with Drugscope, Homeless Link and Mind, was launched on the 24th November in Westminster. The report demonstrates the initial stages of a two year project and draws on a survey of 140 front-line services and conversations with more than 50 practitioners and the people they support who are experiencing multiple needs. The report found that welfare reform and changes to services are having a negative impact on adults with multiple and complex needs, and calls for politicians and civil servants to involve these individuals in shaping future policy to ensure it addresses their needs. Read a blog about the report and the launch event here.
PCCs and the voluntary sector- two years on Following Clinks’ recent online survey, we've published a report detailing how voluntary sector organisations feel they have been able to engage with police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in the two years since they started in post. Respondents were generally positive about how well PCCs understood the sector and were willing to engage in partnerships. However, key areas for improvement include opportunities for funding, strategic engagement and influence. The survey also outlined that there was no clear change between how organisations rated their overall engagement with PCCs and their previous overall engagement with police authorities, and so increased clarity over PCCs' commitment to joined-up commissioning would be welcomed. A Clinks blog about the report can be read here.
Working with perpetrators of domestic abuse This case study published by Clinks, features Barnardo’s domestic abuse perpetrator programmes, designed to address the violent and abusive behaviour of the perpetrator and stop the abuse at the source. Issues covered include: perpetrator programmes; women’s victim support services; and the impact of the programme on children.
Young people and rural crime This case study, published by Clinks, features Gallery Youth and focuses on the problem of anti-social behaviour and low-level crime by young people in rural areas. The case study looks at an outreach project undertaken in Alnwick, Northumberland, and issues covered include: anti-social behaviour; working with rural communities; and inter-generational community cohesion.
Criminal Justice System
Ministry of Justice Policy Update Clinks chairs and provides the Secretariat for the Reducing Re-offending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). The autumn RR3 meeting was delayed to ensure that it took place after the preferred bidders for the Transforming Rehabilitation programme had been announced. However, the MoJ were still able to produce a policy update designed to support this meeting, which gives information that should be of interest to the voluntary sector working with offenders and their families. Topics include Transforming Rehabilitation, NOMS Commissioning Strategy, Youth Justice, Offender health, Women’s Justice and Race.
Crime-recording: making the victim count This report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) gives the findings of its inspection programme, carried out between February and August 2014 into the way the 43 people forces in England and Wales record crime data. The examination was focused around three broad themes: leadership and governance; systems and processes; and the people and skills involved. The inspection found that the police are failing to record a large proportion of the crimes reported to them, and that over 80,000 crimes reported to the police have gone unrecorded each year. This represents an under-recording of 19 percent, yet the under-recording rates for violence against the person and sexual offences where 33 percent and 26 percent respectively.
Prison Service Journal: November 2014 Published by HM Prison Service of England and Wales, the articles explore how the inside and outside coincide across prison life. Articles in the Journal include ‘Nowhere else to turn’: Key findings from an evaluation of the offenders’ families helpline; Transforming Rehabilitation: can faith-communities help to reduce reoffending; and incentivising prison visits: new research findings on the needs of children with imprisoned mothers and fathers.
Gangs in prison: The nature and impact of gang involvement among prisoners This report published by the Dawes Unit at Catch 22 aims to build upon existing evidence relating to gangs in custody, explore the nature and impact of gang involvement among prisoners, and examine how custodial establishments can reduce gang involvement among prisoners and respond to the negative consequences arising from gang involvement in custody.
Coercive sex in prison: Briefing paper 3 This briefing paper published by the Howard League is based on oral and written evidence submitted to the Commission on Sex in Prison about coercive sex. The briefing highlights that the number of sexual assaults in prison is now at the highest recorded level since 2005 but sexual violence in prison is still hidden and under-reported.
To Be Fair This report published by the Criminal Justice Alliance defines procedural fairness, its key principles and its research basis in various law and justice settings. It situates procedural fairness within a wider discussion about the legitimacy of criminal justice institutions; explains how the principles have been applied in court reform to improve the experiences of defendants and others who come to the court; and recommends practical ways in which procedural fairness can be strengthened in the courts in England and Wales.
Equalities
Statistics on women and the Criminal Justice System 2013 This report, published by the Ministry of Justice brings together the most recent statistical information on women in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in England and Wales and presents information relating to women as victims, suspects, defendants and offenders within the CJS.
NOMS annual offender equalities report 2013 to 2014 This report, published by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), is designed to meet the requirements of the Equalities Act 2010 and gives statistical information about offenders with protected characteristics in relation to topics including: incentives and earned privileges; self-harm; deaths in prison; release on temporary licence (ROTL); and offenders in the community. As the report only includes data that is of sufficient quality to be meaningful, it focuses mainly on gender, age and ethnicity.
Youth Justice
Interim YOT practitioners guide: Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 This guidance document on the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act is published by the Youth Justice Board and is for youth offending team (YOT) practitioners.
The Arts
The Arts of Desistance: Evaluation of the Koestler Trust Arts Mentoring Programme for Former Prisoners This report published by the Koestler Trust gives the findings of an evaluation of the arts mentoring programme for former prisoners. The programme aims to prolong and enhance desistance from crime through providing former prisoners with opportunities to continue to engage with the arts after release. A range of benefits of engaging with the arts were found, including enhanced self-esteem, a greater sense of achievement and empowerment, improved learning capacity and motivation and improved social skills.
Volunteering
Justice Involving Volunteers in Europe (JIVE) newsletter This is the fourth bi-monthly newsletter published by the JIVE project, led by Clinks, and includes articles from the European partners including: Romania: working with victims of crime; Germany: BRIK Institute- research on the role and value of volunteers working in the CJS; and Netherlands: Exodus and their OKD project.
Children of prisoners
Supporting children with a parent in prison This report by Spurgeons details the complex needs and safeguarding concerns faced by children with a parent in prison, and outlines that the prison environment has a vital role to play in supporting children and young people, as it provides an opportunity to identify those at risk.
Restorative Justice
‘One year on’ progress report against the 2013 restorative action plan This report published by the Ministry of Justice sets out the key achievements that have been made since the Restorative Justice Action Plan for the Criminal Justice System was published in 2013.
Clinks blogs This has been another busy month for Clinks’ blogs, with new titles including: ‘Prisons are secure but are they safe?; ‘Dear mum’; ‘Do local joint strategic needs assessments miss the needs of offenders?; and ‘It has come to the point where all of these things have just come into a massive great big circle…’
Reforming narratives: Is there life after punishment? This blog gives details of a recent public lecture that professor Fergus McNeill delivered for the Sutherland Trust, which focused on whether there is life after punishment.
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