In this month's edition...
On 22 November, Clinks held its annual conference and AGM 2022 at Drapers’ Hall, London. We were joined by keynote speakers Justin Russell, Chief Inspector of Probation, Kilvinder Vigurs, Regional Director for London Probation, and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Executive Director, Jim Barton. We thank the speakers, panellists, creative performers, and attendees who made the day a success. For those of you who were unable to join us, this blog summarises the keynote speeches, workshops, and panel discussions. Also, to view a chronical of the day, alongside some photos from the conference, browse our Twitter feed.
In November, Clinks’ Stronger Voice programme, funded by the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, completed its final phase of free training for the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. If you attended any of the Stronger Voice training sessions, you have the chance to apply for up to a half-day of support from charity communications expert, Liz Kearsley. To apply, look out for an email from us or contact our Senior Policy Officer, Olivia Dehnavi, at olivia.dehnavi@clinks.org.
Clinks submitted evidence to the Senedd Finance Committee as part of its consultation on the Welsh Government Draft Budget for 2023/24. Our response focused on sufficiency of support for third sector organisations, which face increased demand for services as a consequence of the cost of living crisis and continued impact of the pandemic.
Bryn Hall, our Senior Development Officer for Wales, and Olivia Dehnavi, Senior Policy Officer, attended the Women’s Justice Blueprint event in Cardiff, which involved a number of stakeholders including commissioners, policy makers and service providers. It was great to hear about the positive outcomes produced by the whole systems approach in Wales and to see Clinks members represented.
Last month Clinks met with representatives from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice for the quarterly commissioning engagement forum; a space that was created to provide regular discussion and feedback on commissioning rounds that will involve the voluntary sector working in criminal justice. See our blog for more details.
Minister statement on prison capacity | On 30 November, Damian Hinds, the Minister with responsibility for prisons, gave a statement explaining that the government had implemented a contingency plan, Operation Safeguard, to make temporary short-term use of 400 police cells to supplement prison capacity. The Minister said this was in response to an ‘acute and sudden increase in the prison population’ in recent months, which he stated was partly due to the industrial action taken by the Criminal Bar Association. The Minister said the police cells would provide immediate additional capacity needed in the coming weeks to ensure the “smooth running of the prison estate”. He confirmed the pressure is specific to the adult male estate, and there remains “ample” capacity in the women’s estate and the youth estate. Clink’s response to the statement can be viewed here.
Autumn Statement 2022 | “Stability, growth and public services” were the priorities outlined in the autumn statement delivered by Jeremy Hunt on 17 November, the first major economic statement from Rishi Sunak’s government. In cash terms, each department can expect to receive at least the same amount it was promised in the Spending Review 2021 for 2023/24 and 2024/25. The NHS and Social Care will receive additional funding in each of the next two years. In April 2023, benefits will rise by at least the rate of inflation as well as the National Living Wage rising by 9.7%. Full details of the statement are summarised in this House of Commons Library briefing.
Draft Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Bill | The government has published a draft Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny. Access to timely support and services on release is particularly challenging on a Friday due to the number of different services that need to be accessed, the limited time before services close for the weekend, and the additional pressure on services due to an increased number of releases. The Bill would provide the Secretary of State a discretionary power to bring forward an individual’s release date by up to two eligible working days, where that release date falls on a Friday or the day preceding a public holiday. In practice, this power will be delegated to the governor in public prisons, director in private prisons, or appropriate officials in youth establishments.
Call for Evidence, the prison operational workforce | The Justice Committee has launched an inquiry into the ongoing pressures faced by the prison operational workforce, citing the concerning fact that leaving rates for staff are now higher than pre-pandemic levels. The Committee is interested in hearing information regarding the reasons staff are leaving the prison service, the impact difficulties in staff recruitment and retention have on the ability to provide effective regimes for people in prison, and what is being done to alleviate this. They are also interested in understanding what is being done to improve staff retention, including improving diversity and inclusion, as well as training and professional development to ensure staff have the tools and support needed to carry out their roles effectively. To submit evidence by 6 January 2023, visit the Committee’s webpage.
People convicted of terrorism offences to face longer sentences for offences committed in prison | Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, has announced new changes that will see prison offences committed by those convicted of terrorism offences, automatically referred to the police for separate investigation and potential prosecution. The changes were recommended as part of an independent review into terrorism in prisons undertaken by Jonathan Hall KC, with the aim of “increasing the likelihood of them being locked up for significantly longer and create a strong deterrent against further offending.” The study conducted by Jonathan Hall KC only focused on Islamist groups in prison, and there is concern that the new changes could disproportionately impact racially minoritised groups.
A Response to: A Thematic Review of Outcomes for Girls in Custody | Following a report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons into the outcomes for girls in custody, HM Prison and Probation Service and the Ministry of Justice have published an action plan in response. All six concerns outlined in the review were addressed, including suitable accommodation not being secured early enough before release which prevents effective planning for healthcare, education, training and employment. In response to findings that girls were far more likely than boys to harm themselves, experience restraint, and be involved in violence during their time in custody, the action plan stated that the Youth Custody Service have commissioned the Centre for Mental Health to create an Effective Practice Briefing for frontline staff, as well as promising a review into the use of restraint on girls at Wetherby.
New sports fund to tackle youth crime | Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, has announced a £5 million fund for sports schemes aimed at providing young people with alternative pathways. Voluntary organisations wanting to deliver sports programmes will be able to bid for funding overseen by the Ministry of Justice’s delivery partners StreetGames, the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice, and the Sport for Development Coalition. The new fund is intended to deliver on commitments outlined in the Prisons Strategy White Paper, published in December 2021.
Changes to the Charities Act 2022 | The government has announced new changes by the Charities Act 2022, which will amend the Charities Act 2011, that will come into effect in Spring and Autumn 2023. Guidance explains that there will be greater flexibility to make use of a permanent endowment through which charities will be able to pay trustees will change, meaning charities will be able to pay trustees in certain circumstances for providing goods to the charity. The Act also seeks to reduce the complexity surrounding what trustees must do if appeals do not raise the necessary amount for an aim to be delivered, or if circumstances change and donations cannot be used as intended.
Reading app to help people leaving prison | A new app named: ‘Turning Digital Pages’, has been announced by HM Prison and Probation Service as part of the government's £20 million Prison Leavers Project, aimed at boosting the literacy and employability of people leaving prison and reduce offending through innovation. Set to be trialled with 300 people in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, the app is the brainchild of digital agency Yalla Cooperative and Clinks member, the Shannon Trust. The charity supports people to learn to read and is already using the app to support people in the community. The app will give people who have left prison the ability to improve their literacy and access help from training mentors.
Progress & Prejudice: Shifts in UK employer attitudes towards hiring people with convictions | Working Chance has published a new report looking at shifts in UK employer attitudes. The report surveyed 1,000 professionals to compare employer attitudes with previous studies. One in six people in the UK have a criminal conviction. The report shows that the number of employers knowingly recruiting people with convictions is twice as high as in 2010, and 86% of employers who had previously recruited someone with a conviction reported a good experience. However, people with convictions still have the lowest interview to hire rate out of other disadvantaged groups in the labour market. Working Chance’s study highlights that there is still some way to go to ensure people with convictions can flourish in employment.
Ethnic Group, England and Wales: Census 2021 | The Office for National Statistics has published its Census 2021 data on the ethnic composition of England and Wales, giving a comprehensive understanding of people’s self-defined cultural identity and providing insights into 287 ethnic groups. 81.7% (48.7 million) of residents identified their ethnic group within the “White category”. The next most common ethnic group was “Asian, Asian British, or Asian Welsh”, accounting for 9.3% of the overall population. 2.4 million residents identified as “Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African” (4.0%), and 1.7 million identified as “mixed or multiple ethnic groups” (2.9%). The picture is varied depending on geographical location, yet London remains the most ethnically diverse region of England, where just under two-thirds identify with an ethnic minority group.
Government’s economic plans will widen inequalities in communities | The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) responded to the autumn statement to say that the government’s failure to rectify the impact of austerity over the last decade, as well as the failure to address the root cause of food and fuel poverty, will lead to widening inequalities in communities in light of measures announced in the autumn statement. The response reflects on the importance of the voluntary sector as a critical part of social infrastructure and cutting funding for public services will only exacerbate the numerous pressures charities are facing such as rising energy costs, increased demand for services, as well as staff and volunteer recruitment.
What does the autumn statement mean for public services? | The Institute for Government (IfG) has published a report examining the impact of the autumn statement on public services. The report explains that criminal justice services did not receive any additional funding in the autumn statement but criminal justice funding across the next two years is due to increase by 0.9%. However, the IfG forecast that “demand is likely to outstrip spending by a sizeable margin”, adding that the spending decisions announced leave little prospect of making meaningful reductions to court backlogs or safely housing and providing rehabilitative activities to people in prison, whose numbers are expected to rise over the next few years.
Prison
A joint thematic inspection of Offender Management in Custody – pre-release | HM Inspectorate of Prisons have published a report into their joint thematic inspection of the Offender Management in Custody (OMiC) model, stating that the framework is not working in practice and that delivery is falling well short of expectations. Introduced by HM Prison and Probation Service in 2018, the model aims to improve the support offered to people leaving custody and promote community integration, to reduce their risk of reoffending. However, the report found concerns leading to a call for the model to be “overhauled”. Involvement of other organisations in delivering services prior to release was found to be insufficiently coordinated in over half of cases examined. Russell Webster has written a helpful blog summarising the findings.
Youth Justice
Children, violence, and vulnerability 2022 | The Youth Endowment Fund has published a report exploring the way in which violence, and fear of violence, is shaping the lives of children. Combining a survey of 2,025 children and young people with a review of national statistics, the report builds an understanding of who experiences violence, and how violence is experienced and understood. Findings show that whilst a minority of children have experienced violence, some groups are significantly overrepresented, for example, children who were supported by a social worker (60%), or receiving free school meals (46%), were more likely to have been a victim or witness compared to children who were not from one of these backgrounds (31%). Violence, and fear of violence, also led children to change their behaviour, appearance, or where they went (65%). This increases to 76% for Black children, and 93% for children who were victims of violence.
Support for vulnerable adolescents | The National Audit Office has published a study looking at adverse outcomes adolescents may face if they do not get the support they need, including the risk of physical and mental harm, entry to the care system, severe mental health difficulties, an absence of education and employment, and contact with the criminal justice system. Their calculations show that the government has announced the spending of approximately £2 billion through seven different departments. Despite this, the report suggests there are gaps in the government’s understanding of the relationship between risk factors and adverse outcomes for vulnerable adolescents and what works to support them, as well as a lack of an overall strategic approach when attempting to address these issues.
Final report by the Commission on Young Lives | Anne Longfield CBE, Chair of the Commission on Young Lives, has published a report calling on the government to introduce a national plan to prevent vulnerable teenagers from becoming involved in criminal exploitation, gangs, and serious violence. The report recommends a “Family First” approach, to support families with children at risk, financed through the implementation of Children’s Social Care reforms, and delivered by local authorities and family organisations. The Commission agrees with the Lammy Review recommendations to “explain or reform” racial disparities in the youth justice system and calls on the government to lead on identifying and removing racial bias in the systems that are currently failing many children from racially minoritised backgrounds.
Women
Statement on behalf of VAWG organisations in England and Wales on the Cost of Living Crisis | The Women’s Resource Centre shared a statement on behalf of 86 Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) organisations in England and Wales on the cost of living crisis. The current economic crisis is disproportionately impacting women, particularly those who are impacted by inequality and abuse, as well as the organisations that support them. The VAWG sector has outlined several recommendations, urging the government to further support women and women’s organisations through this time. They ask that all grants are paid to voluntary organisations in advance, given that organisations do not have reserves to subsidise this work using their own funds, as well as public commission bodies guaranteeing three to five-year contracts with inflationary uplifts.
Pushed Out Left Out- Girls Speak | Agenda Alliance has published a new report exposing the real-life impact of the lack of specialist support for girls and young women facing multiple disadvantages and intersecting inequalities. Using first-hand accounts of 36 young women, the charity unveils experiences of feeling excluded and marginalised when attempting to access help across many services including education, policing, and mental health provision. The report calls on the government to prioritise prevention and early intervention by ensuring a cross-departmental approach as well as suitable funding to be allocated to youth services to improve overstretched and overburdened services and ensure this is gender-, age-, trauma-, and culturally- responsive. The organisation has written a guest blog for Russell Webster, highlighting key findings from the report.
Parole reforms are locking people out of rehabilitation | The Prison Reform Trust has published a blog examining the impact of recent changes to the parole system. Currently the Parole Board allows for a pre-tariff review which is held three years before a person’s earliest possible release date, and if successful a person can move to a lower security open prison. However, the pre-tariff review request must now first be supported by the prison’s governor before it is considered by the Ministry of Justice, before being passed onto the Parole Board. Data given in Lord Bellamy’s answer to a recent parliamentary question suggests that prior to the recent criteria changes, 54% of cases were referred to the Parole Board for consideration and independent of the Ministry, however, since the changes, only 12% have been successfully referred.
Education for prisoners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities | Ofsted has outlined some of its findings on its focus on the quality of education in prisons in its latest blog. They note a particular concern around people in prison who have learning difficulties and or disabilities (30% of the prison population), given the various challenges they face whilst in custody and after release. Ofsted expressed concerns in relation to pandemic-related delays around the implementation of plans to support prisoners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, issues surrounding appropriate screening for new and existing prisoners, an absence of meaningful and tailored support plans, and appropriate staff training.
Prison Reform Trust’s approach to influencing policy | The Prison Form Trust has written an insightful blog identifying how the organisation seeks to impact criminal justice policy. It notes that it receives no government funding and thus its influence is less direct, working constructively with policymakers and alongside the prison services and government departments. The post outlines that a major challenge for a small organisation like the Prison Reform Trust “is to determine its priorities while retaining some capacity to seize opportunities and respond to events”. They also carry out advocacy work to ensure the voices of people in prison and their families are embedded within their work.
Re-Imagining Probation Practice | The editor for a new book: Reimagining Probation Practice: Re-Forming Rehabilitation in an Age of Penal Excess, Nicole Carr, has written a guest blog for Russell Webster, explaining some key debates around rehabilitation, how it is conceptualised and practiced in current probation settings, and how it can be reimagined. The book recognises the expanded repertoire of community sanctions over the last 20 years and seeks to fill the gap in existing research by exploring probation practice in a diverse range of settings as opposed to focusing on the individual relationship between probation practitioner and the person under supervision.
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This month's edition was written by...
Clinks Policy Officer Bronte Jack
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