News
Justice Awards detect local crime busting champions - September 2008
Every day, individuals working in criminal justice across Suffolk commit selfless acts to help others. This year’s local Justice Awards ceremony held at Ipswich Town Hall on 25th September formally recognised the people behind the scenes who are going above and beyond to help tackle crime.
Those who received awards were recognised for turning offenders’ lives around, providing indispensable support to victims and witnesses or going to great lengths to provide personal safety advice to the public.
Commenting on the awards, Paula Abrahams (Chief Crown Prosecutor and Chair of Suffolk Criminal Justice Board), said:
“To see such an array of groundbreaking projects and people constantly going above and beyond their day-to-day duties is inspirational. It is a real tribute to the work that is being carried out across the Criminal Justice System in Suffolk.”
Four of Suffolk’s nominees have made it through to the top ten within their nominated categories at the national justice awards out of a pool of just over 700 from across the country. These include:
· Victim Care Officers PC Lindsay Poole and PC Alison Sharman who have been selected for their outstanding achievement in caring for witnesses, showing an exceptional ability to build up the trust of and support for vulnerable and intimidated victims and witnesses of crime.
· The Witness Service volunteers at Ipswich Crown Court who have been selected for their outstanding achievement in caring for witnesses during early 2008 where they had a number of witnesses requiring full identity protection. The team has been recognised for its flawless practical and emotional support.
· The team behind the development of the Welcome Pack website for newcomers to Suffolk (www.welcomepack.org), available in four different languages, have been hailed as a success in demonstrating an outstanding commitment to diversity.
Suffolk Criminal Justice Board scoops top award - July 2008
Suffolk Criminal Justice Board has been recognised by the British Association of Communicators In Business (CiB) for its work in identifying local priorities through a mixture of community engagement activities and proactive media campaigns. Having won the eastern region 'Golden Communicator of the Year Award' at the CiB Communic8 awards, the Board will go through to the national CiB finals.
‘Justice on tour’ to court public views - November 2007
Suffolk Criminal Justice Board and partnering agencies providing support and advice for victims and witnesses of crime will be hitting the road next week.
Suffolk Criminal Justice Board, together with Victim Support, Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and Witness Service based at the courts, will be ready to talk to people about how the criminal justice system works during this year’s national Inside Justice Week. The main focus will be on talking to people about the support available to victims and witnesses of crime in Suffolk, whilst listening to any concerns they may have.
Click here for the full press release
National ‘People’s Award’ candidate launches new campaign to help male victims of domestic violence in Suffolk - November 2007
Marianne Fellowes, Suffolk Domestic Violence & Abuse Projects Manager, whose work has been entered into the Daily Mirror’s People’s Choice Awards this week, is launching a new campaign to help male victims of domestic violence during national Inside Justice Week.
Click here for the full press release
Youth Offending Team praised for work with prolific and serious offenders - October 2007
An Ipswich-based Youth Offending Service team working with young people on Supervision Orders has been named as a finalist to represent Suffolk in the National Justice Awards on 5th November 2007 during Inside Justice Week.
Click here for the full press release
Suffolk Awarded Beacon Status - August 2007
Suffolk is one of 10 pilot areas across England and Wales that have been chosen to drive local change and improvements in the criminal justice system through the 'Beacon Area Approach', introduced by the Office of Criminal Justice Reform.
Click here to download our Beacon Area newsletter that provides an update on reform projects currently being implemented.
New Specialist Domestic Violence Court opens for Business in Ipswich - April 2007
Only a month after the launch of the national domestic violence awareness Enough campaign, victims in Ipswich will benefit from greater support in bringing their cases to court with the opening of the Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC) on Wednesday 11th April 2007.
Based at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court in Ipswich, one courtroom each Wednesday will be used as a Specialist Domestic Violence court. Designed to fast-track domestic violence cases through the judicial system whilst providing victims with a high level of support, it is expected that it will encourage more victims to give evidence against their abusers.
Click here to see the full press release
Just what the Doctor ordered! - May 2007
Visitors to this years Suffolk Show will be able to visit the police stand and take a step back to the future.
A tardis (police communications box) used in the BBC Dr Who series and kindly provided by a local company, Imagineering Props Ltd. will be on display.
Supervised children will be able to go inside the tardis to take a step back in time! and have a game of Suffolk Criminal Justice Board’s giant Justice Board Game.
More rights and better care for victims and witnesses of crime
The Victims’ Code builds upon the work of No Witness, No Justice and the Witness Care Units now operating in Suffolk. It imposes a statutory duty upon the Criminal Justice agencies from April 2006 to comply with obligations to victims of crime from the point of report of a crime to the conclusion of an investigation, or if Criminal Court proceedings are commenced to the conclusion of these proceeding and in some cases beyond.
It requires that in addition to the Police and Crown Prosecution Service, other agencies including the Probation Service and HM Courts Service also have obligations to victims of crime. In the event that an agency fails to meet their obligation, a victim not satisfied after making a complaint can refer the breach to the Parliamentary Ombudsman via their MP.
As a result of introducing the code the agencies within Suffolk have continued to meet on a regular basis, and cooperated together to review existing systems and improve these systems to enable a victim of crime to be kept fully informed and supported throughout the process.