News
Better Information for victims of Domestic Abuse
Earlier this year the Board commissioned work to identify barriers to reporting domestic abuse among minority groups. A common concern was that victims were unsure what would happen if they reported abuse. Therefore the Board have agreed to pilot a booklet, which describes what happens when a report of domestic abuse is made, and what support is available to victims. The initial pilot is planned for the latter stages of the World Cup.
Faster execution of warrants
The Board celebrated its latest performance success with the number of outstanding warrants falling by 25%. The Board is not complacent and has agreed to trial a new system for notifying the police when someone fails to appear in court and a warrant is issued for their arrest. At present police are notified at the end of the day of all fail to appear warrants issued. The new system will immediately notify police if the courts issue a warrant so they can deploy resources to execute the warrant much more quickly. Initially the trial will cover just one court so that its effectiveness can be evaluated.
Money taken from Criminals
In April and May over £130,000 was taken from criminals under the proceeds of crime act.
Young Offenders to be priority
Northamptonshire Criminal Justice Board has now launched the Deter Young Offender Premium Service.
This scheme targets the small number of young offenders, identified by the Youth Offending Service, whose offending is most likely to cause harm to their communities.
This supersedes the Persistent Young Offender Scheme and has the advantage of being able to target first time offenders who are assessed as being at high risk of causing harm to their community.
Local Justice Awards to continue
Despite uncertainty around the future of the National Justice Awards it has been agreed that in Northamptonshire there should be an award event for those who work in the Criminal Justice Field and who have gone the extra mile to make the vision of the Board a reality. So if you know someone who has gone the extra mile - watch out for information on how to nominate them for an award.
Board members go back to school
The University of Northampton invited Board members to a question and answer session for students of Criminology and Law. Participants got the chance to find out how the reality of delivering justice linked with their studies. The University approached the Criminal Justice Board to take part in the event because of the breadth of experience and expertise that its members encompass
Room with a (limited) view
Recent figures for the Crown Prosecution Service in Northamptonshire show that around 88% of people taken to court in the County are found guilty. That is more than 700 successful prosecutions each month. When taken in combination with the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice that show Northamptonshire magistrates are more likely to send people to prison and to give them longer sentences than anywhere else in the country – it looks like anyone thinking of taking up a life of crime in Northamptonshire might want to think again or - get used to the view from behind bars.