In this month's edition...
Clinks Social Prescribing project
Over 2024-25 Clinks is embarking on a project focused on developing a voluntary sector driven strategy for social prescribing in the criminal justice system. Building on our work to date as part of the Health and Wellbeing Alliance, we invite you to join us in exploring the application and benefits of a Social Prescribing model in criminal justice settings. We will build on the evidence collected to date which scoped existing examples of social prescribing inspired practice in prison, to include people with lived experience of the criminal justice system in the community (outside of prison) who are experiencing health inequalities.
We want to work with you if you're involved in delivering socially prescribed services. This scope includes both commissioned and non-commissioned services providing support to individuals with lived experience of the criminal justice system either in prison or in the community. The project is dependent on continued collaboration and connectivity with our vibrant Health and Justice network, so please get in touch with Senior Policy and Communications Officer Abi Lunn if you're interested in collaborating with us.
Clinks Directory of Services
In our continuous commitment to empower the voluntary sector working in the criminal justice system, we invite you to rediscover a valuable resource – the Directory of Services. This comprehensive directory, housing information on over 1,000 organisations and projects, serves as a source of support for those navigating the complexities of the criminal justice system.
Responding to the sector, we have improved the directory to enable organisations to select from an enhanced list of thematic areas, including Social Prescribing. By updating your organisations record you can showcase your impactful work, connect with clinks around themes, and join a collaborative network dedicated to positive change. It also helps us find you when we want to share news or opportunities that we think you'd benefit from hearing about. Signing up is simple – click here to find out more on becoming a valued contributor.
Invitation to join Clinks' Member Advisory Forum
Clinks is looking to recruit voluntary sector professionals in the criminal justice system to join our Member Advisory Forum. Participants must belong to a Clinks member organisation and have approval to represent their organisation.
We seek additional forum members to represent the diversity of the voluntary sector, especially from small and volunteer-led organisations. For more information, read the value of our member advisory forum blog by our Support and Development Manager, Emma Kidger. Find out more about this opportunity and apply here
Small Charity Week
Yesterday saw the start of Small Charity Week (24-28 June), and at Clinks we are proud that 74% of our membership are small charities dedicated to criminal justice across England and Wales. Small charities do vital work that addresses the health and social care needs of people in the criminal justice system (CJS). These organisations work in prisons and in local communities, delivering frontline health services, providing holistic support, advocacy, information and advice, assisting people to understand and manage their health needs. During Small Charity Week, we continue to recognise and support their crucial work. Join us in celebrating their efforts and learn more about how you can get involved here.
Current Bills
Before Parliament was dissolved ahead of the General Election on 4 July 2024, it passed the Victims and Prisoners Bill, which has now received Royal Assent and become law. This Act contains provisions around the victims of crime and major incidents, compensation for people affected by the infected blood scandal, and rules around people in prison, including with regards to public protection decisions, the Parole Board, IPP sentences, the application of human rights to people in prison, and prohibitions on people serving whole life orders from entering a marriage or civil partnership. Parole changes are likely to be of interest to those working with older people. The Community and Suspended Sentences (Notification of Details) Bill has passed through its Committee Stage without amendment. No amendments were tabled to the Bill and so it was passed after a short debate on the motion that the clauses stand part of the Bill.
Amendments on Imprisonment for Public Protection Sentences
On 21 May 2024 the House of Lords agreed to government amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Bill, reforming the indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP). These changes benefit former IPP prisoners on licence and those recalled to custody, but the 1,200 people still in prison were largely excluded. Amendments include executive release of recalled IPP prisoners, dismissing IPP recalls for license termination, reducing the qualifying period for juvenile Detention for Public Protection to your years, and requiring annual government reports on IPP progress. None of the proposed changes have become law yet as the bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament and receive Royal Assent to come into force. Find out more here.
Support for neurodivergent people in prison
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced in a press release that dedicated neurodiversity officers are now in place in every public prison in England and Wales. Read the press release here.
Support for people who sleep rough while tackling antisocial behaviour
The Home Office announced amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill, with new guidance emphasising that police and local authorities must prioritise directing people who sleep rough to support services before they consider using criminal sanctions. Read the press release here.
Expansion of opioid overdose treatment
The Department of Health and Social Care announced that more professionals, including paramedics, police officers, and probation workers, will soon be able to supply naloxone without a prescription to combat opioid overdoses. The legislation update will also allow naloxone to be given to friends, family, and outreach workers aiding opioid users. Additionally, the government is launching a 10-year plan to enhance the drug and alcohol treatment workforce in England. This first national workforce plan aims to recruit and train new and current professionals, improve training for unregulated roles like drug and alcohol workers, and set key milestones for workforce development. Find out more here.
Latest Criminal Justice Statistics quarterly
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published latest figures on activity in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) for England and Wales for 2023. 1.46 million individuals were dealt with by the CJS, a 6% increase from last year but 6% below 2019 levels. Out of court disposals decreased by 2%, with a 3% rise in community resolutions. Prosecutions and convictions rose by 8% and 7%, respectively, driven by increases in theft (up 29%) and violence (up 17%). The proportion of defendants remanded in custody at Crown Court increased to 52%. The average custodial sentence length for indictable offences grew from 23.0 to 23.3 months. See further information here.
Female offender strategy delivery plan: 'One Year on' progress report
Following the publication of the Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan in 2023, the Ministry of Justice published a progress report. This notes that 20 out of the 51 commitments in the Delivery Plan have been completed. The report also says "good progress" is being made on "most of the remaining commitments". It expects these to be delivered by the end of the Delivery Plan. The report also gives some examples of progress against the four aims of the Delivery Plan and sets out focusses for the year ahead. These focusses include demand and capacity in prisons, remand, residential accommodation in the community, health, and the evidence base for what works for women to improve outcomes at all points in the justice system. Read the progress report here.
Children from racially minoritised backgrounds and neurodiversity
The Alliance for Sport in Criminal Justice published its latest Levelling the Playing Field report that highlights that the lack of adequate support for neurodivergent young people in contact with the criminal justice system from racially minoritised backgrounds, advocating for a more holistic and individualised approach. Key recommendations include adopting a child-centred approach, integrating cultural understanding with neurodivergent support, training staff to better assist neurodivergent young people, and mapping the combinations of adversity and neurodiversity. These measures aim to improve services and address the unique needs and experiences of neurodivergent young people. Read the report here.
The impact of court fines on people on low incomes
The Centre for Justice Innovation published its report exploring the impact of criminal court fines on people on low incomes, revealing that it disproportionately affects them, pushing them further into poverty, destitution, and worse physical and mental health. The research highlights key challenges to prevent that must be addressed to prevent disproportionate harm to financially vulnerable individuals including: the MoJ should implement a consistent framework for setting fines, emphasising affordability, flexibility, and proportionality and the court service needs an effective system for collecting and assessing financial information, aligned with debt advice practice. Read the report here. The next research phase of this work will generate practical reform recommendations through engagement with policymakers, professionals, and those with lived experience. Interested parties can contact info@justiceinnovation.org
Independent Monitory Boards National Annual Report
The 2023 national annual report for Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) in adult prisons, young offender institutions and immigration detention has been published. It highlights significant strain on detention settings due to prison population pressures and efforts to maximise capacity, sometimes resulting in inappropriate transfers and instability. Persistent issues include low purposeful activity, inadequate access to education, training, and healthcare; all exacerbated by staff shortages. Many people in prison, including vulnerable groups like women and those serving Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences, face poor conditions, mental health challenges, and safety risks. The physical state of disrepair across the prison estate meant some people were living in “unacceptable environments” that failed to meet basic standards of hygiene, safety, and dignity. IMBs concluded that they remain committed to enhancing their impact through better reporting, real-rime intelligence, and a focus on increasing ethnic presentation among members. Read the report here.
Doubt Dismissed: Race, Juries and Wrongful Conviction
APPEAL published a report exploring the introduction of majority jury verdicts in England and Wales in 1967 and recent case studies about majority verdicts. The report notes at least some ministerial support for the introduction of majority verdicts was based on concerns about unanimity being incompatible with the diversification of Britain, and documents found suggested the change was, at least in some part, introduced to “dilute the influence” of racially minoritised migrants and the new “labouring class”. It also argues restrictions in the Contempt of Court Act 1981 are an “enormous impediment” to studying majority verdicts in real cases. With the research finding over 1,100 Crown Court convictions are on majority verdicts each year, the report makes four recommendations, including returning to unanimity for criminal convictions, and improved data collection. Read the report here.
Summary report from Independent Restraint Review Panel
HMPPS and the Youth Custody Service published a summary report, written by Chair of the Independent Restraint Review Panel (IRRP), outlining the evolution of the IRRPs establishment and key findings from its work. The IRRP aims to deliver practical improvements for the use of restraint against children and was formed based on recommendations by Chief Inspector for Prisons. The IRRP has reviewed numerous incidents, focusing on pain inducing techniques (PIT), serious injury warnings, and potentially instructive cases, and since its formation the YCS has revised use-of-force policies, emphasising force as a last resort. In the majority of cases the IRRP saw good levels of care and professionalism from staff, however in some cases PIT was used to gain compliance, where alternative measures could have been tried and health staff presence during restraints was limited. Read the report here.
Factsheets on women
The Prison Reform Trust published factsheets detailing the use of imprisonment of women in each police force area in England and Wales in 2022, based on local court data analysis. The analysis reveals significant geographical variations, potentially reflecting the effectiveness of coordinated approaches to women in the criminal justice system. Areas like Manchester and London have made concerted local efforts to develop more effective responses to women’s offending through collaboration between police, courts, and women’s services. This joined-up working may contribute to the observed differences in imprisonment rates across areas. Find the factsheets here.
Criminalising Youth Homelessness
Centre Point’s latest research examines the criminalisation of young rough sleepers through government legislation. Findings show that since 2019/20, the Vagrancy Act has led to 620 arrests of 16-25 year olds, 25% of all such arrests, and in London, this age group constitutes one-third of Vagrancy Act arrests despite being on 10% of rough sleepers. The study recommends that the Home Office exclude rough sleeping provisions from the Criminal Justice Bill to prevent further criminalisation, amend the bill to mandate support for rough sleepers, and increase funding for homelessness outreach and support services, focusing on youth-specific solutions and social housing. Read the research report here.
The risk of infectious disease transmission posed by communal accommodation settings
The UK Health Security Agency published a rapid review summarizing evidence on infectious disease transmission risks in communal accommodation settings. Covering research up to March 16, 2023, the review includes observational studies from 2000 to 2023 on the transmission of acute respiratory infections, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal infections, skin infections, and meningococcal disease. While excluding prisons and police custody, it examines places of detention such as immigration settings, homeless shelters, hostels, houses in multiple occupation, and temporary settlements. These settings are relevant to individuals in contact with the criminal justice system, particularly those leaving prison. The evidence indicates that being housed in shared or overcrowded accommodation settings, was associated with an increased risk in the transmission of infectious diseases. Read the full review here.
General election 2024: the health and care manifesto pledges
Ahead of the general election, the King's Fund published a resource intended as a summary of the commitments made by the three largest parties in England (Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrats), for the NHS, social care and public health in their manifestos, associated costing documents and media reports. It outlines the parties' commitments in access to hospital care, to primary and community health care, to dentistry, as well as additional NHS funding commitments. See the full resource here.
Reforms in the Victims and Prisoners Act
The Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform published a blog that provides their analysis of some of the measures that were included in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, that received Royal Assent just before Parliament was dissolved ahead of the election. They focus on changes to IPP sentences, changes to HDC eligibility, changes to the Parole Board, and the disapplication of the Human Rights Act from certain decisions involving people in prison. 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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