Inside Justice Week 2009
Inside Justice Week will take place this year between the 17th - 24th October, and is an opportunity to see behind the scenes of the criminal justice system. This takes place across the country, and a calendar of events in Lincolnshire will be available here soon.
Nominations Sought - Justice Awards 2009
The Justice Awards is an annual initiative that recognises outstanding achievement by staff and volunteers working across the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in England and Wales.
The aims of the Awards are to:
- Recognise outstanding achievement
- Spread the word about stories of dedication and courage
- Improve the system as a whole by sharing information and ideas on what works best
To be eligible for an Award, you must be a team or individual, working or volunteering in the CJS. This includes:
- Crown Prosecution Service
- Her Majesty’s Courts Service (including Magistrates’ and Crown Court)
- Her Majesty’s Prison Service
- The Police
- Youth Offending Service
- Probation Service
- The Magistracy
- Criminal Defence Service
- Cross-Agency Teams, for example the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office, Community Safety Partnerships
Nominations are welcome from any voluntary organisation that works with adult or young people who are victims, witnesses, defendants or offenders. There are 15 categories of Awards from Engaging Communities through to Working with Offenders.
In 2007 the LCJB Volunteer Advisory Panel won the Justice Award for the Caring for Victims category. It was a momentous occasion and it would be excellent to see Lincolnshire staff and volunteers being recognised for their enthusiasm, drive and excellent service again!
Nominations will run from 14th May to 27 July with short listing and judging happening from August to September. The Award Ceremony is on the 20th October to tie in with Inside Justice Week (17-24 October). Winners should be prepared for local and national media attention.
To nominate, go to www.cjsonline.gov.uk/justiceawards
Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice Green Paper Consultation
For more information on this important Government consultation, where communities can have a greater say in the way that justice is delivered locally please go the the Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice Green Paper Consultation page here.
Lincolnshire Criminal Justice Board - working together to cut crime
The Lincolnshire Criminal Justice Board has announced its Strategic Plan until the end of March 2011.
The Board's Programme and Performance Manager, Sarah Virr commented "The Board has been working hard to demonstrate to the community what it is doing locally to bring those who commit crime to justice and improve confidence in the system, but there is still much to do. The Plan sets out what the Board is aiming to achieve between now and the end of March 2011, and is supported by the Annual Report which is produced annually and demonstrates whether those aims have been achieved."
Highlights of the Strategic plan include:
- Ensuring that minority groups are not unfairly treated within the system
- Closer consulting with communities about their local criminal justice system issues and priorities
- Better support for victims and witnesses of crime
- A greater number of serious crimes brought to justice
- Increased work with young offenders