Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Local Criminal Justice Board?
- What does the Criminal Justice System (CJS) do?
- Which groups is the CJS made up of?
- What happens when a crime is reported?
- What happens once someone has been charged?
- What happens once a case goes to court?
- What types of sentences are available to the courts?
- What is the Probation Service?
- What are Youth Offending Teams?
- Doesn't the CPS ever tell the victims of crime what is happening with their case?
- Why are the courts so soft?
- How come prisoners get TV's and luxury items?
- What does 'on licence' mean?
- Why doesn't the court give more consideration to the victim than to the offender?
What is the Local Criminal Justice Board?
Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) bring together the chief officers of the CJS agencies. Accountable for local targets and working together to improve the whole of the CJS in their area, the local boards are a landmark in developing solutions across the whole of the system.
What does the Criminal Justice System (CJS) do?
Their main responsibilities include: protecting the public and supporting victims and witnesses, bringing offenders to justice, turning offenders away from crime and stopping crime from happening in the first place.
Which groups is the CJS made up of?
South Yorkshire Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Courts, the Prisons, the Youth Offending Teams, Victim Support, Legal Services Commission and the National Probation Service. These groups also work closely with other teams including: Crime Detection and Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs), the Health Authority, the Local Authority and many others.
What happens when a crime is reported?
When a crime is reported, the first people involved are the police, who have responsibility for investigating the crime and catching the suspects. They will begin by making a crime report. They may then take statements from victims and witnesses and search the crime scene for evidence. They'll aim to identify a suspect, who will then be arrested for questioning or summoned to appear before a court.
What happens once someone has been charged?
When a charge is made, the case is handed over to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). A Crown Prosecution lawyer will review the prosecution file and witness statements. They will then decide whether or not the case should proceed and what the correct charge should be. The CPS is also responsible for preparing cases for court, prosecuting cases at the Magistrates' Court and directing prosecution in the Crown and higher courts
What happens once a case goes to court?
There are three types of cases that come to the Magistrates' Courts:
- Summary offences, where the defendant is not entitled to a trial by jury. These offences include motoring offences and minor assaults.
- Either-way offences, where the defendant can be tried either at the Magistrates' Court or the Crown Court. Such offences include theft and handling stolen goods.
- Indictable-only offences, such as murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery, which must be heard in the Crown Court. If the case is an indictable-only offence, the involvement of the Magistrates' Court is brief. A decision will be made on whether to grant bail and other legal issues will be considered, like media reporting. The case will then be passed to the Crown Court. If the defendant is charged with a summary offence, or an either way offence that is being dealt with in the Magistrates' Court, they will have to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. If they plead guilty or are convicted after pleading not guilty, the magistrates have the power to pass a sentence up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5000.
What types of sentences are available to the courts?
There are four types of sentence available to the courts, depending upon the seriousness of the offence. They are: discharges, fines, community sentences and imprisonment. When deciding what sentence to impose, magistrates and judges have to take account of both the facts of the case and the circumstances of the offender. To help them, they may ask the Probation Service to produce a report about the offender, including a proposal regarding the sentence.
What is the Probation Service?
In court, probation staff provide advice and reports on sentencing and assess re-offending risk. The National Probation Service runs and enforces community-based sentences, for example a community punishment order or a drug treatment and testing order. It also supervises many who have just been released from prison under licence conditions.
What are Youth Offending Teams?
Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) are multi-agency partnership organisations, resourced by staff seconded from local authority social services and education departments, the National Probation Service, police and primary care trusts. YOTs work with young offenders aged from 10-17 years old, from the point they first come into contact with the justice system, through to arrest, final warning and sentence at youth and crown court. They also provide intensive community supervision of young offenders and also undertake preventative work with young people from the age of eight and their families.
Doesn't the CPS ever tell the victims of crime what is happening with their case?
In the event that the CPS drops a case they will inform you of this and the reasons why. However, if the case does go ahead it is the responsibility of the Police to keep you informed of its progress.
Why are the courts so soft?
The function of a sentence is to punish and rehabilitate, particularly in respect of young people. The agencies which make up the Criminal Justice System are determined to be fair and to find the most effective sentence to reduce re offending. There are a number of options open to them including tagging, curfews, intensive supervision, surveillance programmes and community punishment.
How come prisoners get TV's and luxury items?
These items are not in their cell as standard. Instead the prisoners not only have to show good behaviour but they are also required to earn the privileges they receive.
What does on licence mean?
When a prisoner is released following their sentence, in order to reduce their chances of re-offending they have to agree with their probation officer to adhere to certain conditions. Every licence stipulates the prisoner has to meet regularly with their probation officer, inform them of their whereabouts and agree on any changes of address and job. In addition to these the offender may have to agree to other conditions such as staying away from certain areas or individuals, again to reduce their chances of re-offending.
Why doesn't the court give more consideration to the victim than to the offender?
Magistrates and judges always try to take into account the effect of the crime on the victim. Victims' Personal Statements are always taken into account and can have a considerable impact in court.