offenders

Summing up: a strategic audit of the criminal justice system

Audit that looks at the performance of the principal justice agencies through the eyes of the victims and witnesses who use them.

There are many aspects of our justice system that are very positive – for example, the fall in crime and anxiety, and rise in public confidence – but this audit shows that despite these changes, victims and witnesses are still not treated as well as they should be.

Rapid Evidence Assessment of the evidence on the effectiveness of interventions with persistent/prolific offenders in reducing re-offending

A Rapid Evidence Assessment was conducted to systematically review the UK and international literature to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for persistent and prolific offenders in reducing re-offending behaviour. The review, conducted by the Centre for Criminal Justice Economics and Psychology and the EPPI-Centre and funded by the Ministry of Justice, addressed one key question: Do criminal justice interventions for persistent/prolific offenders lead to a reduction in offending?

Equal but different?: An inspection of the use of alternatives to custody for women offenders

The increase in the female prison population between 1997 and 2000 caused such concern that it triggered a review of the existing initiatives for working with women. The subsequent report signalled the introduction of the Women’s Offending Reduction Programme which aimed to link strategic initiatives across government departments to address women’s offending and pursue alternatives to custody. This thematic inspection report was conducted by HMI Probation, HMCPSI and HMI Prisons.

A review of the youth justice system in Northern Ireland

Review that was launched in 2010 by the Minister of Justice, David Ford, in furtherance of the Hillsborough Castle Agreement. Undertaken by an independent team of three people, its terms of reference were to critically assess the current arrangements for responding to youth crime and make recommendations for how these might be improved within the wider context of, among other things, international obligations, best practice and financially uncertain future.

Restorative justice: time for action

The overuse of custody in the past two decades has resulted in an overburdened and ineffective prison system. In spite of record spending, re-offending rates remain high and public confidence in the criminal justice system low. This report highlights how at a time of austerity, resources need to be focused on responses to offending that are efficient and effective, and which also meet the needs of victims and communities.

Resettlement provision for children and young people: accommodation and education, training and employment

Thematic review, commissioned by the Youth Justice Board, which examines accommodation and education, training and employment (ETE) resettlement provision for sentenced young men aged 15 to 18 in young offender institutions.

It reports on the work carried out in custody to prepare young people for release, using survey data as well as indepth interviews with 61 sentenced young men, their case supervisors and follow-up information on what happened to them on release.