Current Initiatives
Delegates deep in discussion at the PPO Conference co-hosted by
CARRAT and the Essex Crime and Disorder Reduction Network
Priority One: To Reduce Crime and Prevent Re-offending
Tackling Priority and Prolific Offenders
It is estimated that about 10% of offenders are responsible for 50% of all crime. Diverting people away from engaging in offending behaviours and deterring them from becoming the prolific offenders of the future is a key area of focus for Crime and Re-offending Reduction Action Team (CARRAT).
Working with representatives from all the Criminal Justice Agencies, local authorities, the NHS and voluntary sector CARRAT has been instrumental in developing a county-wide multi-agency strategy to deal with Priority and Prolific Offenders (PPOs).
In June 2005 CARRAT and Essex Crime and Disorder Reduction Network co-hosted a conference for delegates from all interested parties to launch the strategy and share best practice in dealing with PPOs.
Local BBC Radio Essex presenter Dave Monk, a former lawyer, was brought in as event facilitator, helping bring an external, objective perspective to the key issues facing practitioners.
Follow-up PPO workshops to further develop partnership working, new initiatives, share good practice and tackle obstacles to success are being planned.
Improving our response to Domestic Violence
Domestic violence occurs across society, regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, wealth and geography. CARRAT is working with its partners to:tackle the incidences of domestic violence and reduce repeat victimisation; bring more domestic violence perpetrators to justice; improve the services and support offered to victims of domestic violence.
To this end, Essex CJB funded a range of new information leaflets and support materials for Essex Police Domestic Violence and Hate Crime Units (DVHCUs). Essex Police has established DVHCUs in each Basic Command Unit staffed by officers who have been specially trained to deal with victims and witnesses of hate crime of all kinds, including racially-motivated crime, domestic violence, crime motivated by a person's difference, whether sexuality, gender, gender identity, age or vulnerability.
One of the mock trials in progress at Harlow Magistrates' Court.
Inside Justice Week 2006
An important aspect of the work of the Criminal Justice Board is to increase confidence in the criminal justice system. One of the ways this is achieved is by opening of the justice system to the general public with events such as court open days, like the ones staged at Harlow and Colchester as part of this year's Inside Justice Week.
In addition to members of the general public, these two events were particularly targeted at students from local schools, who had the opportunity to witness mock trials, check out the size of a prison cell, find out what it is like to travel in a prison escort vehicle, and generally talk to people involved in all the criminal justice agencies and partnership organisations such as Victim Support, and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.