Current Initiatives
Criminal Justice Simple Speedy Summary (CJ SSS)
This initiative is aimed at speeding up summary justice in the Magistrates Court and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of case management overall. The intention is to deliver a criminal justice system that is:
Simple - dealing with some specific cases transparently by way of warning, caution or some effective remedy to prevent re-offending without the court process.
Speedy - those cases that need the court process will be dealt with fairly but as quickly as possible.
Summary - a much more proportionate approach still involving due process - dealing with cases during the same week.
This project has been rolled out across West Yorkshire throughout 2007/08. West Yorkshire was the first LCJB area to be fully live across the full LCJB area and West Yorkshire has also implemented the timeliness system within the youth courts. This project is now complete and is a mainstream activity for West Yorkshire LCJB.
Condtional Cautioning
The conditional cautioning scheme established under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, enables the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in consultation with the Police, to offer a caution with a condition or conditions attached. Conditional Cautioning provides the Police and CPS with a new disposal for dealing with low level offenders who admit the offence and who, if prosecuted by the Magistrates Court, would probably have received a nominal fine, an order to pay compensation or a conditional discharge. If conditions are not complied with, the offender can be prosecuted for the original offence.
The scheme had proved particularly useful with working with women offenders. CPS are working closely alongside the Together Women Project, based in Leeds, who offer a variety of services such as one to one advice, counselling, and crèche facilities to women offenders and women at risk of offending. Click Here to read more about conditional cautioning and women offenders.
Community Justice Court
Community Justice is a unique initiative that brings the justice system closer to the community it serves. Sentencing focuses on offenders making amends to the community but also provides a range of support services to tackle the root causes of an offenders behaviour.
The first community justice projects - the Community Justice Centre, Liverpool and the Salford Community Justice Initiative - have been up and running since Autumn 2005. On the success of these areas, the Government decided to develop the initiative and Bradford was chosen as one of eleven new projects across England and Wales.
The Bradford Community Justice Court has been hearing adult and youth cases from the Bowling & Barkerend, Little Horton and City (University) areas of the city since Wednesday 27th June 2007. The initiative hears cases normally dealt with by a magistrates' court, but will focus on those crimes that are identified by the community as causing most concern.
The aim of the project is to:
Make the court and criminal justice agencies more responsive to the local community by ensuring that community needs are listened to, acted upon and crucially so the issues do not re- occur.
Break cycles of re-offending through a problem solving approach.
Ensure offenders comply with court orders and to make compliance highly visible to the local community.
HMCS Community Engagement Project
This project aims to improve public confidence by strengthening links between the courts, magistrates and judges with the communities they service and to have increased awareness of the impact of offending on local people and an understanding of the social context in which crime occurs, whilst preserving judicial independence. Has been now rolled out and implemented not only in West Yorkshire but nationally. It continues to complement the ongoing work by the Police/CPS and LCJBs on community engagement.
Intermediaries
The national provision of intermediaries for all witnesses who are eligible under section 16 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 will provide access to justice for the most vulnerable members of society. By virtue of their vulnerability people who qualify for an intermediary are more likely to be targeted by offenders and the use of intermediaries may bring more of this type of offender to justice. The project has been live in West Yorkshire since March 2008.
Victim Support +
This project aims to support more victims, more quickly, through a range of improved services using a national business model and case management system. The project will build on the success of the Victim Care Units pilot in Nottingham, Salford and North Yorkshire and will develop a service that is tailored to victim needs. The project has been live since July 2008 and work is ongoing throughout the Yorkshire and Humber.
Witness Charter
The Witness Charter builds on the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime by setting out the standards of care all witnesses can expect to receive at all stages of the criminal justice process. The charter is due for roll out in March 2009.