criminal justice, law and rights

Fair access to justice? Support for vulnerable defendants in the criminal courts

Briefing paper that has been prepared for criminal justice, healthcare and legal professionals and practitioners, members of the judiciary, and local government directors of adult and children’s services and lead members in England and Wales.

It will be of particular use to those working in liaison and diversion services in England and criminal justice liaison services in Wales; magistrates; defence lawyers and court staff.

Reducing the use of imprisonment: what can we learn from Europe?

Paper that looks at features of the criminal justice systems in operation in the Netherlands and Germany and analyses changes in prison numbers in order to see whether any lessons might usefully be considered in England and Wales.

There is a particular focus on Germany and the Netherlands as these are countries which share certain similarities with the UK.

Making justice work for victims and witnesses: Victims and Witnesses Bill - a consultation paper

The Scottish Government’s Making Justice Work Programme represents the most significant set of reforms to courts for more than a century. A central objective of the programme is to improve the experience of victims and witnesses, and a commitment has been made to to bring forward a Victims and Witnesses Bill during this Parliament.

Empty cells or empty words? Government policy on reducing the number of women going to prison

Report that begins by considering how the female prison population has increased, why this has happened and what the consequences have been. This is followed by a review of the way the Labour government sought to reduce the number of women going to prison and the very limited impact its policies had in practice. The report concludes by considering what the current government has achieved during its first two years in office; and what changes might be needed if the number of women entering prison is really to fall.

Not a marginal issue: mental health and the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland

In March 2010, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) published a report into the treatment of people with mental health problems in the criminal justice system, starting with the police, moving through the prosecution to the courts and ending up with prisons and probation.

The report – while noting some excellent practice – documented a range of deficiencies with current arrangements and highlighted the enormous challenges the treatment of people with mental health issues presented to the criminal justice agencies.

Shaping the criminal justice system: The role of those supported by criminal justice services (IRISS Insights, No. 13)

One of a series of evidence reports to support social services in Scotland.

This Insight focuses on the issue of involving those who have offended in shaping the criminal justice system, exploring the different models of involvement, the effectiveness of different approaches and the implications for Criminal Justice Social Work services.