Achievements
Building on the new arrangements introduced under CJSSS, in 2008-9 the Board will take advantage of a new national project to further reduce police paperwork for the most straight forward cases. The “Streamlined Process” will enable the Police and CPS to prosecute certain cases (i.e. less serious offences where the offender is expected to plead guilty), using a simpler file of evidence. This will free up police officer time which can then be spent tackling crime and protecting the public. The Board will also consider the other recommendations from Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s Review of Policing and make proposals for implementing those which require a multi-agency response.
Progress to date:
Planning underway for implementation including training requirements, the established LIT structure for CJSSS will remain and develop into teams to take forward Streamlined Process.
(Back to top)
Reducing Re-Offending
In addition to the ‘core criminal justice activities’ set out in the “Justice for All” PSA, the Board will work with the CSPs to support the delivery of the reducing re-offending strategy and action plan for Wales. By drawing on the crime assessments undertaken by the CSPs, the Board aims to link specific CJS interventions more closely to the needs of its communities.
In 2007-8, the Board developed 2 new multi-agency agreements aimed at reducing re-offending – the Premium Service Protocol (for Prolific & Other Priority Offenders) and the Inter-Agency Protocol for the Management of Persistent Young Offenders. The Board is seeking to ensure that these policies have been adequately communicated to front-line staff, monitoring compliance and checking that they are having the desired impact on outcomes. The Board will also monitor national developments to reconcile the 2 schemes, and ensure that South Wales is in a position to respond accordingly.
Progress to date
The Offender Management sub group has completed a scoping exercise to identify activity in relation to offender management programmes and related activities with CJ agencies, CSPs and other partner organisations with a view to assessing the present level of co-ordinated inter-agency activity in the management of offenders. This should allow agencies and partners to have a greater awareness of the initiatives/programmes in place across South Wales to avoid unnecessary duplication of work and to promote best practice.
(back to top)
Licence Recall Protocol
Joint South Wales Probation Trust and South Wales Police protocol has been formally approved by the Board. Implementation and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol to improve Licence Recall performance will be managed by the Offender Management Subgroup during the next few months.
(back to top)
Prolific & Other Priority Offenders
The Joint Thematic Inspection of the PPO Initiative has been completed and initial feedback has been received from inspection lead. The areas for improvement include improved partnership working, improved management information and the need for a performance framework. This is being built into the Delivery Plan of the Offender Management Subgroup for 09/10.
(back to top)
Community Justice Courts
Community Justice is about local choice and what works for one community may not work for another. The key elements to Community Justice are: understanding the views of the community so that the work of the court reflects their priorities and offenders are held to account; ensuring effective action in the courtroom for simpler, faster processes and faster justice; working together with the community to solve problems that cause crime e.g. through access to drug and alcohol services; and encouraging people to become involved in the delivery of justice e.g. as Magistrates’, mentors or attending court as witnesses. The Board is leading the project, alongside the local council, CSPs, safer neighbourhood teams and other services to establish a Community Justice Court in Merthyr Tydfil. The project will bring a courtroom, the criminal justice agencies and voluntary services together in one building, working with local people to tackle problems. The Court will be officially ‘launched’ on 4 March 2009.
(back to top)
Asset Recovery
The Board continues to encourage and support the confiscation of criminal assets. As well as punishing offenders by depriving them of their profits, asset recovery often disrupts associated criminal networks, helping to reduce other offending. It sends a clear message to others that crime does not pay and helps to undermine criminal ‘role models’. The Board is seeking to ‘mainstream’ asset recovery, so that it is routinely considered at the earliest stage of every investigation. By promoting its successes, the Board will also seek to increase public confidence in the CJS.
(back to top)
Witness Charter
The national Witness Charter sets out the standards of service that witnesses can expect from the CJ agencies. The consultation process and ‘gap-analysis’ undertaken during 2007-8 identified that the criminal justice agencies in South Wales are already complying with a number of the standards in the Witness Charter.
Progress to date
The Witness Charter was launched on 27 February 2008 and the Victims & Witnesses Subgroup will work with the individual CJS agencies to ensure that they are responsible for individual agency compliance with the standards of the Charter.
(back to top)
Vulnerable & Intimidated Witnesses
A range of legal measures and initiatives have been introduced to improve access to justice for groups who have previously found it difficult to engage with the CJS. These include: the creation of protection of vulnerable adults (POVA) networks and special measures (e.g. video link, screens) to help vulnerable witnesses in giving evidence.
(back to top)
Working in Partnership
The latest Government strategies recognise the links between the different targets and between the agencies and partnerships responsible for delivering the improvements. Specifically, the strategic plan for the criminal justice system requires LCJBs to work more closely with Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) to reduce crime, re-offending and anti-social behaviour and to understand the needs of their communities and design services accordingly.
Progress to date:
Contact made with each of the CSP co-ordinators.
SWCJB update to be provided to each of the CSP Executive meetings.
Programme Manager to attend quarterly SWAG meetings.
Meeting arranged with Home Office Crime Team CSP advisory team.
(Back to top)
Confidence
The Board’s 2008-9 Business Plan commits the Confidence Sub-Group to develop an Integrated Community Engagement Strategy. This first phase of this is to scope current activity relating to community engagement and consultation that is taking place by the various agencies and groups across South Wales.
Progress to date
Mapping work has been completed to assess engagement/consultation currently taking place across the CJ agencies. The LCJB is reviewing its governance structure at the current time to see how best to deliver against the Confidence agenda and provide a co-ordinated approach to community engagement and consultation activity being undertaken by the individual CJS agencies.
(back to top)