Clinks Members' Policy Briefing | December 2015
The policy landscape can change rapidly, making it difficult to keep abreast of what is taking place in the Criminal Justice System. One of the benefits of Clinks membership is being kept up-to-date with the latest developments in the sector through our regular reports, updates and consultations.
We send out monthly Policy Briefings packed full of the latest news from, or likely to impact, the sector, along with new reports and interesting blogs. These Policy Briefings are usually exclusively for our members but we thought we’d send the final issue of the year out to everyone who might be interested.
We hope you find it a useful way to keep on top of developments in the sector over the last month. If you would like to receive these briefings in your inbox every month – as well as lots of other benefits – please check out our membership page. As a member you can also submit your own policy news to these briefings. Membership starts at just £40 for twelve months, or is free for volunteer-run organisations.
In this month's edition...
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Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 On 25th November the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP, announced the Spending Review and Autumn Statement which set out the Government’s spending plans until 2020. Some of the headlines from the Ministry of Justice settlement include: overall resource savings of 15% by 2019-20 including by delivering efficiencies within the prisons and courts system; savings to the department’s administrative budget of 50% by 2019-20; building of 9 new prisons, 5 in this Parliament and 4 shortly after, ensuring that prison supports rehabilitation more effectively; and more than £700 million investment in the courts and tribunals system to create a swifter, more proportionate justice system, which will generate savings of approximately £200 million a year from 2019-20. You can read Clinks' blog on the Spending Review here.
Closure of HMP Holloway In a written ministerial statement, Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove announced the closure of HMP Holloway, which is expected to take place by the summer of 2016. In the statement, Mr Gove said ‘for women offenders in London, we are now in a position to hold them on remand in the more modern facilities at HMP Bronzefield. We will also re-open newly refurbished facilities at HMP Downview as a women’s prison later next year. This will allow sentenced women to be held in an environment that is more appropriate for many of those currently sent to Holloway.’
The Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill Clinks has been working to support Unlock to raise concerns about proposals in the Charities Bill which extend the disqualification framework for people with certain criminal convictions acting as trustees or in senior posts in voluntary sector organsiations. Clinks CEO, Anne Fox said "Many voluntary sector organisations have benefited from offering opportunities to former offenders, either as trustees or in senior management positions. Some are even set up initially as self-help groups by service users themselves. The extension of the disqualification framework as proposed by the charities bill could represent a direct threat to the core mission of our sector, its future sustainability, diversity and vibrancy". You can also read an article on the bill in Third Sector Magazine here.
Candidates for new prisons and probation inspectors announced In a letter to the Justice Select Committee, Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove MP announced that Peter Clarke, a former senior policy officer in the Met, is his preferred candidate for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons; and Glenys Stacey, the current CEO of Ofqual, is his preferred candidate for HM Chief Inspector of Probation. In the letter, he also outlined that Kate Lampard CBE, a former barrister, is the Interim Chair of the Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody.
Criminal Courts Charge will no longer be imposed In a written Ministerial statement, Secretary of State for Justice Micheal Gove announced that the Criminal Justice Courts Charge will no longer be imposed as of the 24th December 2015.
Clinks publications
Clinks Thinks: Criminal justice policy and the voluntary sector We have updated our policy primer setting out the key policy issues raised by Clinks members, and the main issues on which Clinks advocates for change.
National policy activity to improve outcomes for women in contact with the Criminal Justice System Our latest briefing focuses on initiatives being taken forward by government and the voluntary sector to improve outcomes for women in contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS). The briefing summarises what opportunities there are for you to get involved in these initiatives and includes details of recent policy changes likely to have an impact on voluntary sector organisations working to support women in contact with the CJS and their beneficiaries, as well as things to look out for in the future.
Inaugural meeting of the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector (RR3) Advisory Group The first meeting of the RR3 advisory group, which is an advisory group to the Ministry of Justice, took place on the 16th November 2015. We have now published a report which includes details about: the aims and objectives of the meeting, key policy issues the RR3 felt would be important to consider, and a policy update from Ministry of Justice officials.
Clinks submission to the review of prison education Earlier in the year, the Secretary of State for Justice announced a review of prison education in England and Wales to examine how it supports effective rehabilitation for different segments of prison learners. The Coates Review has since issued a call for evidence and in our response we highlight the importance of a wide ranging curriculum including through the arts, sport and the involvement of families; and the role the voluntary sector can play in the provision of these.
The challenges and solutions to better investment in partnership with the VCSE sector Clinks have responded to the VCSE Review discussion paper by the Department of Health, NHS England and Public Health England. The review focuses on the challenges and solutions to better investment and partnership with the voluntary sector and the role of the voluntary sector in improving health, wellbeing and care outcomes. The review aims to make recommendations on how the sector can maximise and demonstrate its impact; build sustainability and capacity; and promote equality and address health inequalities. Clinks' response draws extensively on input and examples for our members and on our ongoing research with the voluntary sector working with offenders and their families. For more information about the VCSE Review, please click here.
Criminal Justice System
Working in step? A joint inspection of local criminal justice partnerships by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Probation Local multi-agency partnerships have been established in a number of complex areas of public policy, such as crime reduction and public health, in order to determine and work towards shared local priorities; oversee services which are provided jointly; and manage the risks and interdependencies between work carried out on a single agency basis. This report presents the findings of an inspection of how these partnerships work.
Transforming Rehabilitation- early implementation 3 Published by HM Inspectorate of Probation this report relates to findings from inspections undertaken between March and May 2015. Overall, inspectors found that many of the challenges identified in earlier inspections remain, in particular: within the National Probation Service (NPS), inconsistent application of the Risk of Serious Recidivism tool leading to mistakes in allocation; continuing concern about the variable quality of risk of harm assessments; and within Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) inconsistent standards in relation to risk of harm assessment, likelihood of reoffending assessment and recording of escalation and breach processes. However, inspectors were pleased to find that the use of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements and restrictive requirements was good and risk escalation processes between CRCs and the NPS have improved.
Annual offender equalities report 2014-15 Published by the Ministry of Justice and National Offender Management Service, this report gives statistics relating to equalities groups in prison and in the community. Some of the key findings include: there has been a “major shift in the age profile of the prison population"- the proportion of prisoners aged under 25 has fallen from 30.3% in June 2005 to 20.9% in March 2015 whilst the proportion of those aged 40 and over increased from 22% to 31.4% in the same period; in 2014 women were seven times more likely to self-harm than men; and black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) prisoners constituted 25.7% of the prison population on 31st March 2015 and 15.8% of offenders in the community on 31st December 2014, however in the 2011 census12.4% of the population in England and Wales aged 18 and over were recorded as being from BAME communities.
Recovery and desistance
Understanding the whole person: part one This report, published by Revolving Doors Agency, highlights common themes from research into recovery from mental illness, recovery from substance misuse, and desistance from crime, based on the literature in three different disciplinary fields. Because many people experience multiple and complex needs, it is important to understand the cross-cutting themes as well as the distinctive areas, and the review finds important lessons for policy and service delivery.
Families of offenders
Quality assessment tool for research and evidence around children of offenders i-Hop in partnership with the University of Huddersfield have developed a Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) and accompanying guidebook for research and evidence around children of offenders. Anyone can use it to review the quality and usefulness of research in regards to four key areas: methodology, child-centredness, relevance to policy and strategy and relevance to practice.
Doing the right thing: a report on the experiences of kinship carers This report, published by the Family Rights Group and KinshipCare Alliance, considers the experiences of kinship carers - friends and relatives who are raising children unable to safely live with their parents. The report outlines that typically, children are unable to live safely at home due to domestic abuse, parental mental ill health, alcohol or drug misuse and death. Other factors include imprisonment and homelessness.
Collateral damage: the effects of prison sentences on offenders’ families This was the title of the 14th Longford Lecture, which was given by the actor, writer and broadcaster Michael Palin, CBE. Delivered to an audience that included the Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove, outlined the importance of family relationships for people in contact with the Criminal Justice System and praised the voluntary sector for its commitment to supporting families affected by imprisonment. He said, 'One element in this whole debate which can be relied on is the existence of an active, committed, hard-working voluntary sector which keeps raising the issues, dispensing information, listening to the problems and finding ways of solving them. I sense that their help and support is going to be more and more important as the austerity programme bites.'
Barnardo’s Impact report 2015 This is the first impact report published by Barnardo’s, which includes details about their work to support children affected by parental imprisonment. An evaluation of their community support for offenders services, which offer direct support to families as well as training for professionals, showed improved outcomes for most families including better access to support services, reduced stress levels and improved parent-child access.
Relative Justice: the experiences and views of family members of people with particular needs in contact with criminal justice and liaison and diversion services This report details the findings of focus groups held with families and carers of people with particular needs in contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and with liaison and diversion services. Published by the Prison Reform Trust in partnership with Partners of Prisoners and Families Support Group (POPs) and Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact), the report found that families with experience of liaison and diversion services welcomed the support they received in navigating the CJS and helping the offender to access appropriate services.
Substance misuse
Seizures of drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2015 Published by the Home Office and Office for National Statistics, this report gives the details of drug seizures made in 2014/15 in England and Wales by the police and the Border Force. The data relates to all drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups
Justice, Resistance and Solidarity: Race and Policing in England and Wales Published by the Runnymede Trust, this edition of their ‘perspectives’ series focuses on racism and policing in Britain. It brings together academics, practitioners and activists to examine, and offer their outlook on, the state of policing and its effects on black and minority ethnic communities in Britain today. Articles include: ‘Dying for justice’; ‘Race, law and the police: reflections on the Race Relations Act at 50’; and ‘Police violence, justice and the struggle for memory.’
Recognising diversity in resettlement Published by Beyond Youth Custody, these two guides - aimed at practitioners who come into contact with young people in the Criminal Justice System - underline how more culturally responsive working practices can improve outcomes for young people. They also offer practical steps any organisation can take to put effective measures in place.
Race and the Criminal Justice System: 2014 Published by the Ministry of Justice and the Office for National Statistics, this report compiles statistics from data sources across the Criminal Justice System (CJS), to provide a combined perspective on the typical experiences of people from different ethnic groups in England and Wales. The data includes information about: victims; defendants; offender characteristics including employment, income and benefits; and offence analysis. The data, in line with trends over time shows that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are overrepresented at most stages throughout the CJS, compared with the White ethnic group. Among BAME groups, Black and Mixed individuals were often the most over-represented.
Women
Reducing the unnecessary imprisonment of mothers, improving their chances for children Published by the Prison Reform Trust, this discussion paper considers sentencing policy, process and practice. It includes a review of case law and research evidence, conversations with mothers in prison and consultations with key individuals and organisations. It proposes a number of reforms to reduce the number of children separated from their mothers through imprisonment. The paper focuses on mothers because they are most likely to be caring for dependent children, but most of the proposals would apply to men as well as women where they have sole or primary care responsibilities.
Evidence
Evidence is confidence: how to create a richer evidential tapestry Published as part of the Realising Ambition programme which is led by Catch 22, this briefing explores the role of evidence in the replication process. It argues that the process of replication requires a broader definition of evidence, one that includes but also moves beyond just evidence of impact and also considers how to take an overview of this more nuanced take on evidence and what the implications of this approach are for commissioning.
Women’s desistance from crime: recovery In this Clinks guest blog Rebecca Gomm, who is working on a project exploring the perspective of women offenders in relation to interventions and approaches which support their desistance from offending, gives the details of her research findings.
The same only different In this Clinks blog, Anne Fox our CEO reflects on her first few weeks at Clinks visiting our members and learning about their work. She would love to meet more of you and continue learning more about what you do, what you would like to do, and how Clinks can support you. She asks that you please get in touch with her directly if you would like her to come and visit you.
Measuring the impact of chaplaincy mentoring on desistance In this guest blog for Clinks, James Noble from NPC and Matt Wall from Community Chaplaincy Association share what they’ve been working on in relation to measuring and demonstrating the impact of the Community Chaplaincy Association on the desistance process, and how the process could be followed by other organisations in the sector.
The transforming power of art: a note from the NAACJ’s new chair Dr Alison Frater is the new Chair of the National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice (NAACJ). Alison is an independent public health consultant with a strong interest in the arts. She recently retired from the NHS as Head of Public Health and Health in the Justice System in London and her past work has required expertise in research and implementation of evidence, with a strong focus on advocacy for social justice and reducing inequalities. In this blog post, Alison tells us about her first couple of months in post, and what she has learned so far from NAACJ members.
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