Lancashire Criminal Justice Board - Monthly Update

LCJB Inspection - November 2007

A joint Inspection of the Lancashire Criminal Justice Board took place in November 2007. The three key areas the inspection focussed on were:-

• Leadership/partnership
• Domestic Violence
• Community Engagement

The Inspection Report has now been received with two recommendations:-

• Improve Delivery Plans to ensure they are comprehensive and appropriately monitored.

• Improve confidence in the local criminal justice system and strengthen planning process to reflect community priorities by developing a co-ordinated approach to community engagement

Justice Awards

Lancashire submitted over 40 nominations for a Justice Award, 11 of which were shortlisted and one a runner up at the National Ceremony on 5.11.08. (Lancashire Constabulary's Pennine Division Hate Crime and Diversity Unit).

A local ceremony was held at Barton Grange on 28.11.08 with Lord Justice Leveson, Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales, presenting the certificates on behalf of the Board.

Question Time Events

The Board has now held six question time events across the county. These give the public and invited community groups the chance to question the chief officers of the Board on issues that are of concern to them or where they feel improvements could be made in the criminal justice process. Frequently asked questions and answers are being put on the LCJB website.

The Board are holding another six events over the next financial year and we will let you know where and when these are to be held in due course. Please feel free to come along and spread the word to your friends and neighbours. There will be one event in the Autumn, just for CJS staff. Once the date has been fixed invites will be sent out.

CJS Business Plan 2008/09

The OCJR CJS Business Plan has now been produced notifying local Boards what is expected of them for the next year. This can be viewed on www.cjsonline.gov.uk (follow the relevant links to the Business Plan).

LCJB - New Chair for 2008

Bob Mathers, Chief Officer for Lancashire Probation Service is to take over chairmanship of the Board from April 2008 with Lancashire Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable, Territorial Divisions and Criminal Justice, taking on the role of Vice Chair.

LCJB Review Day - 14.1.08

The Board held its annual review day in January to consider its priorities for inclusion in the Business Plan for 2008/09. This year we are being very much driven by the requirements of the Government PSA 24 Justice for All target; To deliver a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public.

This will require the Board to:-

• Be more effective in bringing offences to justice, especially serious offences
• Engage with the public and inspire confidence
• Puts the needs of victims at its heart
• Have simple and efficient processes

The priority areas for the Board are shown below:

• Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system in bringing offences to justice.
  
  The Board agreed to give specific local focus to rape cases, sexual exploitation of children and domestic violence

• Increase the levels of public confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the CJS
  
  The Board is to implement national guidance in relation to community engagement and is also introducing community courts. Staff engagement is also high on the agenda and the Board has introduced an Internal Communications Group to develop this work.

• Increase the proportion of victims and witnesses that are satisfied with the way they are treated by the cjs
  
  This area of work is being developed via implementation of the Witness Charter.

• Better identify and explain race dis-proportionality at key points within the cjs and have strategies in place to address race disparities which cannot be explained or objectively justified

• Reduce the harm caused by crime by increasing the quantity of criminal assets recovered

• Measure compliance and enforcement in relation to financial impositions, warrants, community penalties and end to end licence targets

• Deal with Persistent Young Offenders speedily
  
  This priority is addressed via the Persistent Young Offender Pledge, to deal with cases within a maximum of 71 days from arrest to completion, with an aspirational target of 65 days

• In support of the National Crime Strategy, through closer working with CDRP's, take on an increasingly active role in reducing the overall level of re-offending
  
  The Board decided to introduce a new sub group to look at prevention, early intervention and prevention of re-offending mechanisms and to particularly address young person alcohol related crimes which has been highlighted as a priority area by a number of CDRP's

LCJB Newsletter - Issue 8

Latest LCJB Newsletter has just been published. Please keep a lookout for them in your agency to see what has been going on over the last nine months.

Forced Marriage/Honour Based Violence

A consultation event was held at Lancashire Constabulary on the 16.1.08 hosted by the CPS/Police to look at ways of raising awareness of this type of crime, encouraging victims to report and seek support and improving the quality of police investigations and presentation of cases at court. The Lancashire Domestic Violence Partnership is taking this work forward on behalf of the Board to draw up a Lancashire Strategy for dealing with these types of offences.