Welcome one and all to this, the very first recovery edition of the Friday Five (we’ll leave a moment for all the oooohs and ahhhhhs…) In this weekly segment, we’ll be running through some of the most noteworthy news stories from the world of policing, criminal justice, recovery and rehabilitation, and more. So, without further ado, here are your Friday Five…
1. Tackling Prison Overcrowding by Slashing Sentences
The government’s plans to tackle prison overcrowding include new legislation in which shorter sentences (12 months or below) will be scrapped and replaced with community orders or suspended sentences.
The move has seen significant backlash, however, as many of the offenders this will impact are those with stalking, harassment or abuse charges. Various charities have voiced their concerns for women’s safety following the news, with organisations like Respect, whose aims are to end domestic abuse, stating that the news will:
“Have a detrimental effect on the sentencing of perpetrators of domestic abuse, who typically receive shorter sentences … It is a travesty to scrap short sentences. We will be urgently asking what plans are in place to ensure that survivors are not put at further risk by a system which should be prioritising their safety.”
2. Criminal Justice an Integral Part of King’s Speech
Few sectors received as much attention in the King’s Speech as criminal justice did. This is in keeping with the hardline stance the government has been taking on tackling crime and keeping streets safer.
The speech included a Sentencing Bill that will make life sentences compulsory for the most serious offenders, as well as a Criminal Justice Bill, which will make it easier for judges to ensure that convicted criminals attend their court hearings so that they may hear directly from victims the impacts of their crimes.
Check out our article here for a full breakdown of the King’s Speech and how it will impact different sectors.
3. Changes to Criminal Record Rules
We have a justice system predicated on rehabilitation rather than reoffending, but rehabilitation is often difficult because of their criminal record. As it stands, if you were sentenced to more than four years, then your conviction was never ‘spent’.
That means it would always be a black mark against your name, and you would always have to disclose it when applying for jobs. It’s far more challenging to achieve employment with unspent convictions on your record, and this was understandably seen as a significant barrier to the rehabilitation process.
Now, though, people sentenced to over four years have their conviction spent after seven years. Once a conviction is spent, a person is not obligated to disclose information about the sentencing to prospective employers.
4. Prisoners to Be Trained as Youth Workers
An innovative new scheme is being trialled at a prison in Stafford in which its prisoners are being trained to become youth workers.
Taking place at the women’s prison HMP Drake Hall, the thinking behind the idea is that the lived experience that many prisoners have will make them far more relatable and enable them to build a greater level of trust and rapport with the young people with whom they’ll be working.
Training will include everything from conflict mediation to mentoring, and it’s hoped that the training will provide gainful employment opportunities in the inmates’ post-prison lives and lower reoffending rates in doing so.
5. Possession of Laughing Gas (Nitrous Oxide) Made Illegal
The possession of nitrous oxide, also known more commonly as nos, has now been made illegal, with sentences for repeat offenders of up to two years and other consequences, including a caution on a person’s criminal record, a fine or a visible community punishment.
Final Thoughts
That’s your first recovery-focused edition of The Friday Five; we hope you found it informative! We’ll post these round ups weekly, so keep your eyes peeled for more news stories in the coming weeks.
