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In this month's edition...
Clinks submitted written evidence to the Justice Committee’s inquiry into the future prison population and estate capacity. In this evidence, we highlighted the growing proportion of older people in prisons in England and Wales, noted the barriers prison infrastructure, particularly in ageing prisons, can cause for this group, and called for a strategy for supporting older people in prison to be published. Clinks’ evidence can be read on the Committee’s website here.
Government reshuffle
Last week, the Prime Minister reshuffled his ministerial team, including making some changes to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). This saw the then prisons minister, Damian Hinds, moved to a role in the Department for Education. Edward Argar, an existing Minister of State at the MoJ has been given the portfolio covering prisons, parole, and probation. Gareth Bacon has been appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the MoJ, and he will be responsible for sentencing, including the recently introduced Sentencing Bill. Laura Farris has also been appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in both the MoJ and the Home Office, covering the Victims and Safeguarding portfolios. More details about the roles of each minister can be found on the MoJ's website.
King’s Speech 2023
The government has set out its legislative agenda for the new Parliamentary session, announcing 21 different Bills. Three are likely to be of particular interest to the sector: a Sentencing Bill, a Criminal Justice Bill, and the Victims and Prisoners Bill. The Sentencing Bill brings in several changes that have already been announced, including the presumption for prison sentences of 12 months or less to be suspended. The Criminal Justice Bill include the introduction of the necessary legislation to facilitate the previously announced overseas prison rental scheme. The Victims and Prisoners Bill will continue from the previous session, and measures in that Bill include changes to the parole system. More details about the measures in these Bills can be found in this Clinks blog, with a more detailed look at the Sentencing and Criminal Justice Bills in our most recent blog.
Latest criminal justice statistics published
The Ministry of Justice published statistics covering people in the criminal justice system, safety in custody, the children and young people’s secure estate (CYPSE), and proven reoffending. There were 87,576 people in prison on 30 September 2023, and 238,264 people on probation at the end of June 2023. There were 304 deaths in custody in the year to September 2023, a 1% decrease on last year. The number of incidents of self-harm in prison rose 21% in the year to June 2023, with the rate of self-harm incidents per 1,000 people increasing 63% in female establishments and increasing 3% in male establishments. The annualised rate of self-harm per 100 children in the CYPSE decreased 2% in the quarter to June 2023, compared to the same quarter last year. The proven reoffending rate for the October to December 2021 cohort was 25.4%.
Changes to rehabilitation periods
The government has announced that changes have been made to reduce the time people with convictions are required to declare them after serving their sentence. The changes mean that custodial sentences of four years or more for less serious offences now become spent after seven years, as long as no further offences are committed. These changes were introduced through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, and came into force on 28 October. The Ministry of Justice’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975 has also been updated to reflect the changes.
Re-commissioning of core Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS)
His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has commenced work on the re-commissioning of its core Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) for people in prison and on probation for the following pathways:
- Finance, benefit & debt (FBD);
- Dependency & recovery (D&R);
- Education, training and employment (ETE);
- Accommodation;
- Emotional wellbeing;
- Family & significant others;
- Lifestyle & associates;
- Through-the-gate mentoring (social inclusion)
Organisations are invited to attend an in-person event on [29 November, 10:00 - 16:00, London, free]. The morning session will be focusing on the high-level design for Men. Women’s Service organisations can attend the afternoon sessions from 13:00 if preferable. Register via Eventbrite
For those unable to attend in-person, a virtual event [7 December, 13:00 - 16:00, online, free] has been created to ensure the short notice will not stop organisations from attending. The virtual event will take place on MS teams on and attendees will need to pre-register by 17:00 on 4 December to confirm your attendance.
During the event HMPPS will present the following topics whilst also allowing opportunity for feedback and open discussions around: The high-level design for the recommissioning of men’s CRS; Cost Assumptions; Payment Mechanisms; Performance Framework; Contract Levers; Procurement Timescales; and Mobilisation.
Please note a maximum attendance of two people per organisation. Register for the HMPPS recommissioning rehabilitative services - virtual market event
All England criminal justice forum
Clinks’ England criminal justice forums [7 December, 10am, online, free] aim to bring together partners working across the criminal justice system. These forums provide an opportunity for people to hear about current and future developments and discuss policy and practice affecting their day-to-day work. Often themed around a current issue, the forums also provide the space to share good practice, network with other organisations, discuss the opportunities and challenges your organisation is currently facing and encourage shared learning and peer support. They are also an opportunity for Clinks’ members and partners to showcase their work. Forums are open to all organisations in England working in the criminal justice system. Register here.
The latest evidence for social prescribing
The National Academy for Social Prescribing are holding a webinar [6 December, 9.30am, online, free] to look at the latest evidence it has published and its International Evidence Collaboration in 2023. It will cover what the recent evidence tells us about the benefits of social prescribing; and how to make best use of this evidence; where the gaps in the evidence for social prescribing are and how it plans to address them. Book a place here.
How sport is playing a role in Criminal Justice
This Academy for Social Justice online seminar explores how sport is playing an important role in the Criminal Justice System [6 December, 5.15pm, online, free]. The Co-founder and CEO of the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice, James Mapstone, will discuss the work that Alliance undertake and introduce two organisations who are both effective at using physical activity and sport to increase positive outcomes for the children, young people and adults who are in, or at risk of entering the justice system. Register here to attend.
Older people in the criminal justice system (OPiC) network meeting
The next meeting of the OPiC network [12 December, 2pm, online, free] will have a focus on resettlement. The speakers for the session have how ben confirmed. We are delighted to welcome Stuart Ware, Restore Support Network CIC; Paul Ruff, Deputy Director Transitional Accommodation, HM Prison and Probation Service; and Alison Keating, Head of Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco (London), Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. This network event is designed to bring together voluntary and statutory organisations and practitioners, as well as academics, who provide services for and/or advocate for older people (people over 50) in the justice system. This event is for anyone who has an interest in older people in the justice system and being part of the network. Register here.
Remand Decision-Making in the Magistrates’ Court: A Research Report
JUSTICE published a report on remand decision-making based on an observational research project looking at the outcomes and processes of these decisions in magistrates’ courts in England. JUSTICE noted that its data suggest a willingness to remand defendants in custody to address social issues, such as substance use needs, homelessness, or mental illness, has an impact on remand rates, particularly for people accused of less serious offences. Whilst observers were not specifically asked to record information about the use of remand to address social issues, it arose several times in comments they provided. More generally, the research also found processes for determining bail do not appear to be properly followed, and there were disparities in outcomes for a number of groups including racially minoritised defendants and foreign national defendants. Read the report here.
The National Women’s Prisons Health and Social Care Review
The National Women’s Prisons Health and Social Care Review was established by HM Prison and Probation service and NHS England in January 2021. The review led to eight main findings and corresponding strategic recommendations. These included that health and social care across the 12 women’s prisons are inconsistent, not always gender specific or sensitive to women with protected characteristics, and many women and health and social care providers experienced the prison environment as unfit for purpose. It also found the period leading up to release from prison is emotionally challenging for many women and often based in fear; Resettlement services should be better integrated; and having somewhere safe and decent to live on release remains the greatest priority for many women. Where available, women also spoke highly of RECONNECT services. Read the review here.
Developing gender-sensitive support for criminalised young women
As part of the Young Women’s Justice Project, run in partnership by Agenda Alliance and the Alliance for Youth Justice, a briefing was published highlighting the severe mental health problems facing young women in prisons. The paper highlights that, in 2022, the number of self-harm incidents in prisons among 21 to 24-year-old women was higher than all other age groups for women. Moreover, self-harm among this group has been consistently rising, with the 138 young women who self-harmed in prison in 2022 doing so, on average, 34 times in the year. Recommendations include collaboration with young women with experience of the criminal justice system to design future policy, including the forthcoming Young Women’s Strategy, and safety in custody data routinely providing breakdowns by age as well as gender. Read the briefing here.
Painting half the picture: the draft code of practice on diversionary and community cautions
The Centre for Justice Innovation (CJI) published a briefing responding to the consultation launched on the Draft Code of Practice for Diversionary and Community Cautions. The CJI welcomed the code of practice, but felt that by limiting itself to only providing guidance to police forces, on the two new statutory out of court disposals, it is only painting half of the picture that forces need to implement the new framework effectively. The CJI’s recommendations the scope of the code of practice should be widened to include both the new out of court disposals framework and community diversion, and the code of practice should be revised to provide better guidance on effective evidence-based practice, especially how to work with and tailor interventions for different cohorts of people. Read the briefing here.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) strategic plan 2023 to 2026
The UKHSA has published its new strategy for the next three years. In this, it sets out six strategic priorities. These include being ready to respond to all hazards to health, supporting the whole health system to enhance its readiness and develop robust response plans; reducing the impact of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, with a focus over the next three years on Covid-19, antimicrobial resistance, and elimination targets for blood-borne viruses and tuberculosis; and improving action on health security through data and insight, making use of partnerships and the health impact of data the agency holds. Read the strategy here.
We can build a system that works for everyone
David, a member of Revolving Doors' Lived Experience Team (LET), wrote an article for the Prison Service Journal, arguing that by involving people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, a system can be created that works for everyone. Through sharing some of his experiences, David highlights the unique perspective of people with lived experience that can help to make the system more fair, just, and effective. He acknowledges there can be challenges to involving people with lived experience, such as stigma and discrimination, and lack of resources, but points out that people with lived experience can also help offer suggestions for how these challenges can be overcome. David also discusses the work of Revolving Doors and the LET, and the some of the impacts that has had. Read the article here.
Achieving more equitable outcomes: UKHSA Health Equity for Health Security Strategy
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published a blog, exploring health equity, “the absence of unfair and avoidable or remediable difference in health among population groups defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically”. The UKHSA notes its strategy for 2023 to 2026 recognises the importance of health equity and includes a cross-cutting goal. The blog goes on to set out four areas of focus that the agency needs to strengthen to deliver on its ambitions. These include making the invisible visible in data, taking a “people and place” approach, strengthening partnerships including with the voluntary sector, and building the agencies culture through improving its understanding of diversity across staff and using this to drive action towards a workforce reflective of its communities. Read the blog here.
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This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary organisations involved in the health and care of people in the criminal justice system. To submit content please complete this form.
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