News, publications and events
Criminal Justice Group weekly round up, Issue 12
13.5.08
This message consolidates all of the announcements and information released last week, relevant to the new Criminal Justice Group (CJG) of the Ministry of Justice. The links will enable you to access further information about each announcement.
Appointment of new Director of Offender Management Strategy
Julie Taylor has been appointed to the post of Director of Offender Management Strategy, within Criminal Justice Group. This new role will have responsibility for setting offender management strategy and establishing the regulatory framework within which NOMS will operate. Until the re-organisation of NOMS on the 1st April, Julie was the Director for Commissioning and Partnerships.
Launch of the Departmental Strategic Objectives
As the Ministry of Justice celebrates its first birthday, the new departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) are launched. The DSOs set out the services the Ministry of Justice will deliver to the public by 2011. The Criminal Justice Group will be working to deliver DSO 4: to ensure a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public.
New national re-offending measures 2008-2011
On 7 May, Justice Minister David Hanson gave a written ministerial statement (new window) announcing improvements to the way the government measures its performance in reducing re-offending. Whilst the current regime measures whether a known offender re-offends or not, the new metric focuses on how many re-offences an offender commits. The new headline measure will monitor the frequency of re-offences per hundred offenders. This will provide a better measure of our impact with those offenders who cause most damage to communities through committing most crime. A guide to the new measures (new window) can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.
Reducing re-offending statistics (2000-2005)
The latest reducing re-offending statistics have been produced under the new measures for adults (new window) and juveniles (new window) over the period 2000 to 2005. These show the number of re-offences committed, and the number of re-offences which are classified as serious.
Average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders (new window)
The monthly National Statistics have been released presenting figures from the Police National Computer on the time taken to bring persistent young offenders to justice.
Criminal Justice and Immigration Act
Yesterday, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill received Royal Assent. The new Act is a result of the Government’s commitment to delivering an effective criminal justice system in ‘Rebalancing the criminal justice system in favour of the law-abiding majority’, published in July 2006. Further details of the Act and its passage through Parliament are available on the Ministry of Justice website (new window).
Speech to the Prison Officers’ Association Conference (9 May) (new window)
The Right Honourable Jack Straw MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, has given a speech at the Prison Officers Association conference.
Forward Look
Nominations for the 2008 Justice Awards (new window) open on 12 May.
The Public Accounts Committee meet on 19 May to hear evidence on the Offender Learning and Skills service from the Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills, Learning & Skills Council, HM Prison Service for England & Wales and the Ministry of Justice.
If you have queries about any of the above please contact the CJG Communication Team.
