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Rebalancing the criminal justice system in favour of the law-abiding majority
This review reports on the Government's plans to further rebalance our criminal justice system in favour of the victim and the law-abiding majority. It sets out an ambitious but practical programme of change that will cut crime, reduce re-offending and improve protection of the public.
Title: Rebalancing the criminal justice system in favour of the law-abiding majority
Author: Home Office / CJS
Number of pages: 52
Date published: July 2006
Availability: Download full report
The report sets out proposals in 4 main area:
Putting law-abiding people and communities first
Gripping offenders to cut crime, reduce re-offending and protect the public
A simpler, swifter, fairer system with strong reinforcement to support rebalancing
Action plan: What will be done by when
This summary concentrates on the crime reduction aspects of the report, but details of the other sections can be found in the full report.
Cutting crime and reducing re-offending
The review has confirmed that reducing crime and anti-social behaviour must continue to be the central aim, but that minor crime should also be tackled swiftly and efficiently so that more time and effort can be put into into dealing with repeat offenders and with serious and violent crime.
While overall crime is down, and more offences are being brought to justice, violent crime has not fallen as quickly as high-volume crime like burglary or vehicle crime. In order to put more focus on serious crime and protect the public from dangerous and violent offenders, the Government will:
increase the maximum penalty for carrying a knife without good reason to four years
introduce Violent Offender Orders to provide the courts with tough new powers to manage dangerous violent offenders beyond the period of their sentence with penalties of up to five years for breach of conditions
take tougher new action on alcohol, with new powers for trading standards officers to act against those selling alcohol to children or those who are drunk, and a new 'alcohol intervention programme'
change the rules for parole decisions, so that any decision to release an offender into the community must be made unanimously
consult on a new target for seizing the assets of criminals and increase the involvement of the private sector in asset seizure
combine the prolific and priority offenders programme with the Drug Interventions Programme, and overhaul our approach to high-harm drug users, with tougher conditions, tougher enforcement, and new follow-up assessments
Unchecked low-level offending can lead to more serious offending and cause great damage, nuisance and harm. For low-level crime and anti-social behaviour the public expects fast, effective action to address local problems and punish offenders. To deliver that, the review proposes to:
increase the take-up of anti-social behaviour powers, and reduce the variation in local performance, with anti-social behaviour and Respect indicators in every local area
introduce Parental Compensation Orders in ten areas from summer 2006 to make sure parents take responsibility for the damage their children cause
Rebalancing the system
The system that underpins all this needs to be less bureaucratic and faster. 21st-century crime requires 21st-century solutions. To deliver that, the review proposes to:
introduce a new, simplified performance framework for crime, drugs and policing by 2007/08 so we can streamline the mechanisms to keep track of police performance and prevent them from being too burdensome
start and support an increasing number of locally focused improvement projects learning from the front line and gaining new skills.
The Police
The Government wants a Police Service that is more localised and delivers the highest professional standards. They have already done a great deal to make that happen but the review has confirmed the need to do more to make the police genuinely visible and responsive to people, dealing effectively with the crime and antisocial behaviour that concern them and can blight people's lives. To achieve this, it is proposed to:
provide a dedicated neighbourhood policing team in every area by April 2008
put in place improved service standards in all forces by November 2006 (for example will make it easier to contact the police)
introduce a community call for action, to trigger a response from police (or other agencies) where communities feel that their concerns are not being addressed.
The Criminal Justice System
If the criminal justice system is to command the respect of the law-abiding majority and offenders, it must deal effectively with those who flout the rules. For example, it must be firm with those refusing to comply with community orders and bail. The review has revealed there is more that can be done to ensure that offenders comply with their sentences and to give front-line staff more power to deal with those who breach. The review contains proposals to:
introduce an integrated enforcement service nationally by 2007/08
consult on new targets for swifter return of those who breach bail to court, and use police–court live television links to make it easier
speed the return to custody of offenders who breach their licence conditions, including a tough new target for serious offenders
consult on giving probation staff the power to vary the punishment an offender serves depending on their behaviour, without having to go back to the court
roll out the community justice approach in more areas, which will create stronger links between the judiciary, magistrates, prosecutors and the communities they serve
extend Community Payback, which gives communities the chance to choose what unpaid work offenders do
Getting a copy
Download Rebalancing the criminal justice system in favour of the law-abiding majority
Last update: Thursday, October 26, 2006