Sunday 20 January 2019

Lets Go Round the Circle Again

I guess it goes without saying that most of us who've been around some time get mightily fed up when the wheel seems to be continually re-invented and some very old tried and tested ideas are trumpeted as new and innovative. Who'd ever have thought that providing training for employment within prison would reduce reoffending rates? 

Here we have the CEO at City & Guilds getting a little excited at such a prospect, seemingly forgetting or choosing not to remember that much of what he proposes was very effectively dismantled only a few years ago due to the staffing cuts introduced under Chris Grayling's prison watch. You can't get prisoners gainfully involved in training if there isn't the staff to unlock and supervise them, can you? 

Passionate about Reducing Reoffending

Passionate might be an overused word, but it is simply the best way to articulate how I feel about giving ex-offenders the opportunity to turn their lives around. As something so close to me personally and to the City & Guilds Group, I was immensely proud to see data from the Ministry of Justice showing the impact City & Guilds qualifications have on reducing reoffending.

Paid employment can reduce the likelihood of re-offending by as much as 50% and two-thirds of prison leavers identify it as one of the key factors in preventing re-offending. However, currently just 27% of people leaving prison enter paid employment on their release.

We’ve worked with the MoJ to help address this major challenge for a long time, delivering qualifications in Maths, English, Hospitality, Catering and Construction to help prisoners gain skills that make them genuinely employable.

The latest MoJ research found that those who had registered for City & Guilds qualifications were less likely to reoffend, committed fewer re-offences, and took longer to re-offend than those who had not. This underscores our fundamental belief that learning gives people the power to make positive change, and we’re more motivated than ever to bring learning to more people so they can change for the better.

Qualifications are only part of the story. Yes, we want to educate people in skills to perform in-demand jobs (and that help fill some of the most critical skills gaps in organisations and our economy) and we work closely with probation officers to get people into work. But we also need to make a focused effort to keep offenders out of prison, giving them a pathway to further education and training that will help them move forward in their careers and lives. Investing in the communities and infrastructure that support offenders is therefore vital.

A few years ago City & Guilds Group set up a £5m investment fund, to support individuals who are at a disadvantage or hard to reach to develop the skills they need to get into a job, progress on a job, and onto the next job. One of the key areas we focused on is findings skills interventions that help prevent offending and reoffending, hence our work with St Giles Trust - a London-based charity helping severely disadvantaged people to find jobs and homes.

The St Giles ‘Employability Skills for Peer Advisors’ programme gives ex-offenders an easier and more rewarding route into employment. Former offenders are trained to an NVQ Level 3 Advice and Guidance qualification and offer peer support (everything from motivational skills alongside help with CVs, applications and job searches) to help other ex-offenders into employment. As ex-offenders themselves, the team have a direct insight into the barriers people face when looking for a job with a criminal conviction.

Independent research from Cranfield University, based on Home Office data, revealed that in the last year it trained and qualified 63 peer advisors, who went on to work with 105 ex-offenders. As a result, ex-offenders were shown to be three times more likely to be employed and thus less likely to re-offend. The estimated saving to the public purse as a result of these people having been reached through the programme is £6.5m over three years. We are hugely pleased to see that the programme has had such a substantial impact But there’s so much more we can do.

When I meet with the prisons minister next week we’ll be talking through the possibilities of creating programmes of activity that reach the wider prison population. With peer advice projects of the kind modelled by St Giles Trust there is a significant opportunity to scale this project and see two-fold benefits: giving ex-offenders meaningful employment as peer coaches, and developing the behaviours in offenders that will help them into long-term employment.

Coupled together, the MoJ results and Cranfield study make a compelling case for taking a multi-faceted approach to upskilling and employing offenders and ex-offenders. We need to look at the pathways into and out of prison, and identify the moments where an intervention is critical. This may be in prison through formal training, it may be on release through supportive advisory projects - it may be in later years through informal networks. Through an aligned, clear position about what we expect of prisoners and prisons, and getting processes in place that help each progress, we can create an environment that delivers nothing but value to individuals, businesses, and the economy as a whole.

We’re proud to support ex-offenders, and we’re proud to have banned the box earlier this year to help open up job opportunities for ex-offenders in the Group. But it has to be a collective effort. I have a vision where we can give all offenders the chance to learn and work, and become a valued member of our society.

Chris Jones
Group CEO City & Guilds Group & Chairman  

48 comments:

  1. Same old... except, were there so many CEOs of things back awhile?

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  2. i think there is really limited scope to develop anything new in probation so its a case of constant repackaging the same old things with new titles.

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  3. U can't polish a turd

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  4. All of these initiatives all fail to look at white collar criminals who may be barred from going back into the profession they used to practice and need to retrain. They already have an excellent level of education and need help and advice to do so as well as possible retraining. yet none of these initiatives, worthy though they are actually deals with this need

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  5. Education and qualifications are great. But you don't need a City and Guilds for a zero hour contract with Deliveroo or order picking for Home Bargains.
    I'm quite shocked to learn that 27% of offenders being released go into employment upon release given that 1 in 4 prisoners are now being released homeless. 27% seems pretty high to me.
    I have no real time either for organisations like St Giles who get funding to help homelessness, but also provide information to the authorities on those they claim to help that may have an illegal immigration status.
    It's a food chain, even a gravy chain and everyone wants a bit.
    Everybody wants to help the ex offender when they can shake a few bob out of their situation, but it's all short term and mostly irrelevant interventions.
    Nothing is done anymore (excepting a few good voluntary organisation) if there's no profit in it, and the people on the treadmill are acutely aware of that fact.
    Assistance and support and the development of exoffenders has become such a huge marketplace, why would those who profit from that market have any interest in reducing reoffending? They'd just be doing themselves out of a job.
    It's criminal justice ambulance chasing.

    'Getafix

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  6. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/men-who-abuse-partners-could-face-lie-detector-0fdjwls39

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    Replies
    1. Men who are convicted of the most serious types of domestic violence and abuse face being forced to take repeated lie-detector tests in a change intended to give victims better protection.

      Ministers are seeking legal powers to try out the effectiveness of polygraph testing on the highest-risk domestic abusers to see whether it reduces repeat offending or makes it more likely that they stay away from victims.

      Polygraph testing was introduced for the most serious sex offenders in 2014 and has been hailed a success, with 160 offenders sent back to prison after concerns about their behaviour were highlighted by their answers.

      Delete
  7. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1075301/Criminals-owe-courts-623million-unpaid-fines

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    Replies
    1. Criminals owe courts £623million in unpaid fines

      The staggering sum still owed by criminals is the result of five years of continuous growth in uncollected fines and comes amid fears courts are fining more criminals because judges have lost confidence in community sentences.

      Campaigners and the Magistrates' Association have called on the Government to investigate the rising total owed amid fears it could hit court credibility if fines remain unpaid.

      Harry Fletcher, of the Victims' Rights Campaign, told the Daily Express: "Courts have lost confidence in community sentences, which has led to more fines. Unfortunately, some people fined have a record of dishonesty and will do anything to avoid paying.

      "The solution is for the Government to invest more in debt recovery and to reform community sentences so courts can be confident in them again."

      John O'Connell, of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "It's really bad news for taxpayers that over half a billion in fines has gone uncollected.

      This ultimately will mean higher taxes and cost pressures for other budgets. "The authorities should be doing absolutely everything they can to recover these fines."

      Ministry of Justice sources said that much of the rise can be attributed to a cap of up to £5,000 on fines being removed four years ago.

      In 2015, 866,137 people were given fines totalling around £213,611,000, according to the Magistrates' Association analysis of Court Service records. A year later magistrates imposed 902,320 fines adding up to £263,763,000. In 2017, 915,541 fines were issued, totalling £362,490,000. But last year, judges gave out 893,429 to rake in £355,773,000.

      Jon Collins, the chief executive of the Magistrates' Association, said: "While it may be due at least in part to more fines being given, the causes of the increase in outstanding court fines in the last two years should be investigated.

      "If it is because fines are not being paid on time then that is concerning, as unpaid fines compromise the credibility of the court while allowing the offender to effectively go unpunished. "It should be noted that many people who come before the courts are on low incomes and may struggle to pay fines.

      "We would therefore like the Government to consider giving courts greater flexibility to be able to give an alternative sentence in cases where the offender has been fined on multiple occasions and would otherwise get another fine."

      Delete
  8. http://www.cityam.com/271434/year-carillion-12-months-brought-outsourcing-its-knees

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  9. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/22/hmp-bedford-inmate-caught-rats-in-his-cell-during-inspection-visit

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    1. An inmate at a jail that was subject to urgent measures was witnessed catching and killing rats in his cell during an inspection, it has emerged.

      The chief inspector of prisons, Peter Clarke, issued an urgent notification protocol – the most severe course of action at his disposal – over HMP Bedford last year.

      In a damning report on the dire conditions at the prison published on Tuesday, Clarke said standards had continued to decline despite two years of prison service efforts to improve it.

      One amputee was in a cell with no adaptations, with a wheelchair that could not be user-propelled.

      Pest control work had failed to eradicate a significant rat infestation, the report found. One notice on a door said “Please ensure doors remain shut to prevent rats entering the wing!!!” and conditions in the segregation unit were described as appalling.

      The report said there was an infestation of vermin, adding that one segregated prisoner “caught and killed a number of rats in his cell during the inspection”.

      The report described cells as “filthy and decrepit”, and said toilets did not flush properly.

      Clarke said: “This inspection found that the prison has continued on a seemingly inexorable decline that is evident through the results of the four inspections carried out since 2009. It used to have a reputation as a good local prison, and the collapse in standards is as sad as it is inexcusable.”

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      He added: “The use of the UN [urgent notification] protocol is not something that I take lightly. I am required to have ‘significant concerns with regard to the treatment and conditions of those detained’. Sadly, in the case of HMP Bedford, that threshold was easily exceeded.”

      The UN protocol requires the justice secretary to respond publicly with an improvement action plan.

      Violent prisoners faced few effective sanctions, the report said, adding that the use of force by staff, including baton use, had risen significantly and was “exceptionally high”. Many prisoners felt unsafe, with 49% saying they felt that way on their first night.

      Inspectors said they witnessed a “serious lack of order and control on the wings”, adding that the many inexperienced wing staff struggled to exert their authority over prisoners, who did not obey basic rules or conform to expected behaviour.

      The report said self-harm had increased substantially and there had been five self-inflicted deaths since the previous inspection in 2016.

      Almost half of prisoners surveyed said it was easy to get illicit drugs, and a fifth said that they had developed a drug problem while in the jail.

      The report said the smell of cannabis and other burning substances pervaded some wings, with one officer saying: “If it’s just cannabis, it’s a good day.”

      The facility for adult men was hit by a major disturbance that reportedly caused £1m of damage in November 2016.

      The prisons minister, Rory Stewart, said: “I take the inspectorate’s findings very seriously. I visited Bedford prison last week to follow up on the recommendations in the report. I’m glad to say that there has been significant progress at Bedford to make it safer and more decent. But we have more to do.

      “Increased security is in place to help reduce drug use and violence in turn, and inexperienced staff are now being better supported and given extra training to ensure the prison runs effectively.

      “We have appointed a highly experienced and effective new governor. And I am confident that he and his senior management team and the excellent prison officers will ensure that the prison’s turnaround will continue.”

      Delete
  10. Chaos in the courts this morning as non of the IT systems are working.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/21/computers-fail-courts-across-england-judges-cps-struggle-access/

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  11. Please train somebody up in IT, second week of being unable to access systems!!! Shite system that is proving, YET AGAIN, unfit for purpose.

    Why is this stuff not being publicised. Complete waste of public money. How much is this farce coatings. How many employees bring paid but unable to work? What is the daily cost of that? Not to mention the risk to staff and the public issues. Feeble apology yesterday but no information as to when the problem will be fixed. It's a bloody joke. No doubt there'll be a CBE next year for the Head of IT.

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    1. Here in ProvincialBackwater LDU we have adopted a paper based work-around. Basic offender details are typed onto doubled white A4 paper. We call this a Part A. Sentence Plans and Reviews are typed onto pink A4 paper. We call this a Part B. Day to day recording is typed onto white A4 paper. We call this a Part C. It works and has yet to go down on us. I expect that my CDM is in the post (remember those Jim?)

      Delete
  12. The legend says if the ravens leave the tower of London the Kingdom will fall.
    With everything everywhere seemingly broken, and unbelievably Beefeaters have gone on strike today, you have to wonder just how long more the ravens are going to hang about.

    Beefeaters and other staff working for Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) will be picketing outside the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace tomorrow (Tuesday 22 January) after discussions between GMB and HRP over pensions ended without an agreement.
    HRP consider it better to ‘let them eat cake’ in their retirement instead of them being able to buy groceries or pay rent and utilities bills, says GMB London

    Last week GMB members working for HRP were presented with an improved offer regarding their pensions, however the offer was deemed unsatisfactory, with members feeling it offered little in comparison to what they were losing.

    Last month members working at the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace voted overwhelmingly to support strike action with a result of 91% after a turnout of 88%. This was after HRP decided to close employees’ final salary pensions and replace it with an inferior pension despite promises made to them at the time of privatisation.

    Michael Ainsley, GMB Regional Organiser said: "Our members are disappointed to have not reached any agreement with HRP, but their offer was simply not good enough.

    "Our members’ disappointment turned to fury however when they were made aware that HRP had commissioned several elaborate and very expensive cakes from Choccywoccydoodah, to launch a new campaign.

    "The crass insensitivity shown by HRP in squandering money in this way while telling employees that their pensions are un-sustainable is incredible. Perhaps HRP consider it better to ‘let them eat cake’ in their retirement instead of them being able to buy groceries or pay rent and utilities bills."

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    1. Can they not sue for breach of contract?

      Delete
  13. I think the real issue is accountability, or lack of it.
    Outsourcing and privatisation has pervaded into all areas of our society, and it's damaging and destructive.
    I used to think that the neoliberal ideology of shrinking the state was just to make it smaller, offload responsibility from government.
    Infact, the privateers and outsourcers now provide a fortress between the people an government. The state has not just got smaller, its being insulated against responsibility and accountability by thick walls of corporate legislation and confidentiality.
    The Government don't give a jot if IT systems aren't working, pension pots are being depleted, or public services are in meltdown. It's the corporations that's to blame, not them.
    The corporations don't give a jot either. They take their money on the go ensuring those that profit get theres, and if it all goes wrong heyho, just move on to the next contract.
    Sir Nicholas Soames this week made an outrageous argument that outsourcers are being too hard hit, and they should be allowed to fail. I have no problem with that argument as long as its the corporations that absorb the financial losses, and not the public purse. But it never is.
    There has to be more accountability by government. Persistent failure in all areas of our social existance can't (and shouldn't) be tolerated any longer.
    Privatisation, outsourcing and giant corporations are sucking the blood out of our society, and left unchecked, they will continue to pollute everything from our education systems, workplaces, to our old age and social care. They're making society ill.
    The way the corporations operate is seeping into everything. Many think of the third sector as a group that organise themselves to do charitable work, providing for people in great need without looking for anything in return.
    People may be supprised to know there's over 160,000 registered charities in the UK! And it's big business too.

    https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/charity-takeovers-more-common-than-mergers-of-equals-finds-report.html

    There needs to be more accountability, more transparency, and more consequences for the blatent disregard the public is shown by both corporations and government.
    I believe social values, and how we want to be seen as a nation, and as individuals, is just as, if not more, important then the relentless pursuit of profit for profits sake.

    'Getafix



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    1. BBC News.

      The Ministry of Justice is rushing to fix IT issues affecting courts across England.

      Lawyers say trials have been delayed, jurors are unable to enrol and witness statements are inaccessible, .

      Twitter user @BarristerSecret said the "entire digital infrastructure" of courts had been "broken for days".

      The Common Platform, a system shared between the police, the courts and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), was updated last June at a cost of £1bn.

      In a statement the MoJ said: "We apologise to those who have been affected by the network issues that we have been experiencing over recent days. The urgent work we have been carrying out with our suppliers has led to significant improvements today, but this work is ongoing and we have contingency plans in place.

      "While services have continued to operate and alternative network access is now in place for most, we know how frustrating this is for anyone affected and we are disappointed that our suppliers haven't yet been able to resolve the network problems in full. We continue to work with them to return services to normal."

      Skip Twitter post by @BarristerSecret

      The Secret Barrister
      @BarristerSecret
      The entire digital infrastructure of the courts has been broken for days. Phones aren’t working, court computers are offline, email is down.

      Imagine the headlines if it were the NHS.

      But it’s only justice, so no one cares.

      No accountability, no lessons learned.

      HMCTS
      @HMCTSgovuk
      We’re continuing to experience disruption to our networks & phone lines. We’re very sorry for the delay if you’re trying to contact us. To help us answer calls as quickly as possible, please only phone if your enquiry is urgent. Visit http://gov.uk for more guidance. https://twitter.com/Justice_Digital/status/1086310971751219200 …

      1,423
      7:32 PM - Jan 21, 2019
      Twitter Ads info and privacy
      1,049 people are talking about this
      Report
      End of Twitter post by @BarristerSecret
      The disruption continues to "cause chaos" reports The Law Society Gazette.

      One criminal barrister told the publication that none of the computer systems at Leicester Crown Court had been working
      Another said that at Highbury Magistrates' Court there had been confusion over which cases would be heard in which court
      Connectivity problems were reported at Southwark Crown Court and the Old Bailey
      Others reported that people arriving at court had been left hanging around for hours and cases had been adjourned
      Chris Henley QC, who chairs the Criminal Bar Association, told The Law Society Gazette: "Short-term savings often result in wider costs to the public purse and cause a broken criminal justice system to fall further apart.

      "Crumbling court buildings are bad enough for court users - both the public and criminal practitioners - but digital failures can have far more profound consequences for all those awaiting trial."

      Delete
  14. MOJ Announcement IT Update posted 7.20pm.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/it-issues-across-ministry-of-justice-latest-update?utm_source=f9df8f03-a89a-42bf-9ddf-b9235d63235f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate

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    1. ATHOS supply IT?

      Delete
    2. The Official Lies


      During the past week we have experienced major IT network issues. We apologise to those who have been affected. We know this is unacceptable and how deeply frustrating this has been for our staff and users.

      Network access has been restored to a large number of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) sites today. The main suppliers of the affected technology, including Atos and Microsoft, are working hard to restore access for the remaining sites and users. Please be assured that we are doing everything possible to resolve the situation and we will continue to do so until full service is restored.


      The current situation

      Changes made overnight have improved the service at a significant number of our sites, and currently:

      email and internet access is working across the estate via Wi-Fi and on mobile devices
      the prison estate is unaffected and contingency plans are in place in the National Probation Service to mitigate impacts
      reformed online services such as divorce and probate have continued to work throughout the disruption
      hearings are continuing to progress in our courts (though we appreciate the extra burden placed on court users still without network access)
      75 per cent of court staff are back on working IT systems


      Criminal Justice secure email system (CJSM)

      The separate and unrelated issue last week affecting 12.5 per cent of users of the Criminal Justice secure email system (CJSM) has now been resolved.

      All users can currently send and receive secure emails and we have restored the email history of all inboxes affected.


      Why has this happened?

      The network disruption initially affected devices connecting to the main MoJ network. This network is also used by HMCTS and other MoJ agencies and a number of arms-length bodies.

      Together with our suppliers Atos and Microsoft, we are working hard to identify the root cause of the issues.

      It is not the result of a cyber attack and there has been no loss of data.

      The network issues are unrelated to our £1 billion modernisation of the courts system. The disruption in recent days has been to the existing Ministry of Justice network. The Common Platform system is still in testing phase so, contrary to earlier reports, has not been affected.

      Keeping up-to-date

      Teams will continue to work around the clock to resolve the remaining issues. We will continue to update this news story with progress made.

      Delete
    3. Series of optimistic 'tweets' from OMiC over the last week or so, e.g.:

      16 Jan - *IT UPDATE FROM MOJ DIGITAL* “there will be slow improvement to performance and restoring impacted services across the estate. Please reboot machines to see if this has taken effect. We expect services to be completely restored by 11am”

      Delete
  15. inspection results for dlnr crc ingeus out tomorrow

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  16. I note that some of the high street banks suffered a computer failure on Friday afternoon, but they were back up and running before close of play.
    It seems that if there is money to be made, the problems can be overcome.
    Meanwhile, there does not appear to be a contingency plan.
    Imagine compiling an OAsys in this manner and submitting it to someone calling themselves a manager. I think it might be rejected but this is yet another example of “do as I say, not as I do”

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  17. www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/inspections/dlnrcrc/?platform=hootsuite

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  18. Dlnr crc - Shock! Horror! Even the farmer's friend Dame Stacey can't find much positive to say. Managers cut staffing & resources to the bone, remaining staff neither knowledgeable enough nor allowed the time to do their jobs.

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    1. I genuinely feel for staff in CRCs. They are not to blame. The operating models were essentially about doing things on the cheap; fewer staff, with fewer resources and vastly inflated workloads. The privatised / outsourced model for Probation services on so many levels was anticipated to be, has now proven to be, a highly flawed model. It should really be consigned to the dustbin of regrettable political experiments.

      Delete
    2. It highlights the bleedin' obvious though, i.e. the CRCs cleared out the expensive experienced qualified staff in a planned move to save money for themselves & their shareholders; then recruited cheaper unqualified alternatives who will inevitably be without the knowledge & skills of experienced qualified staff.

      I agree. Those frontline staff are NOT to blame.

      The unscrupulous, selfish, greedy CRC managers at ALL levels are wholly to blame, whether they designed, imposed or implemented the CRC policies. I can hear them whining already...

      "I'm only doing my job"
      "I'm only doing what I'm told to do"
      "I'm only following company instructions"

      Yes, indeed, it is likely to be true that quite a few kept their jobs at the expense of hundreds of colleagues' careers that were cast aside; and it is those collaborators who implement the CRC policies to hang on to their jobs, to keep their CRC salaries & thus enable the CRCs to continue to butcher the 'probation' carcass - funded by the UK taxpayer.

      Come on, tell it as it really is. Save the sugar lumps for Dobbin down on the farm, Dame Mary Poppins.

      Delete
  19. Prisoner murdered at HMP Risley.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46971130

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  20. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chris-graylings-justice-reforms-united-legal-profession-in-opposition-f2jks3m6s

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    1. Chris Grayling’s three-year tenure as lord chancellor and justice secretary was the most controversial in living memory in the eyes of the legal profession in England and Wales.

      His plans to cut to the bone legal aid eligibility and fees for lawyers triggered an outburst of criticism – and not just from the legal profession.

      Catholic charities and the Children’s Society joined lawyers’ leaders in damning the proposed reforms.

      Lawyers viewed Mr Grayling – a former BBC and Channel 4 producer before becoming the Conservative MP for Epsom and Ewell – as someone who had little interest in understanding the justice system.

      As Kerim Faud, QC, wrote in a letter to the editor of The Times in 2013: “I must compliment Chris Grayling. He has…

      Delete
    2. continued....

      “I must compliment Chris Grayling. He has achieved something that no one has ever managed to do in 400 years of legal history. As a result of his ill-thought-out proposed reforms, he has completely united the barristers’ and solicitors’ professions.

      “In fact his proposals to reform the criminal justice system are so unworkable and flawed that he has even forced the judiciary to come out and voice their concerns. Bravo Mr Grayling. We are indebted to you.”

      Nonetheless, Mr Grayling was unapologetic and trenchant during his time as justice secretary.

      In 2013 he told The Law Gazette: “‘We have looked at the nature of the [legal] industry, but there is no single answer to how much it costs to provide a criminal defence service.

      “What we do know is that the only way we are going to deliver a system that is more cost-effective is to have a system that changes.”

      However, as soon as he left the ministry in 2015, his successor, Michael Gove, spent much of his time unravelling many of the reforms and plans Mr Grayling had initiated. Mr Gove focused on legal aid, but lawyers now will be wishing he had turned his attention to the court IT systems before himself being reshuffled."

      Delete
  21. Further It update from MOJ the second in less than 18 hours is someone taking it seriously?

    "the prison estate is unaffected and contingency plans are in place in the National Probation Service to mitigate impacts"

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/it-issues-across-ministry-of-justice-latest-update?utm_source=b606de14-9352-4ade-b8a5-5d6b51ebb6dd&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate

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    1. Can you access this Andrew? The lawyers are blaming Grayling for these IT problems, and as the article is taken from a search of 'privatised orobation' I'm sure his botched probation privatisation is spoken about.

      https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/courts-in-chaos-as-trials-halted-by-it-breakdown-f9lkqmm20

      Delete
    2. Updated PR exercise



      During the past week we have experienced major IT network issues. We apologise to those who have been affected. We know this is unacceptable and how deeply frustrating this has been for our staff and users.

      Network access has been restored to a large number of Ministry of Justice (MoJ) sites today. The main suppliers of the affected technology, including Atos and Microsoft, are working hard to restore access for the remaining sites and users. Please be assured that we are doing everything possible to resolve the situation and we will continue to do so until full service is restored.
      The current situation

      Changes made overnight have improved the service at a significant number of our sites, and currently:

      email and internet access is working across the estate via Wi-Fi and on mobile devices
      the prison estate is unaffected and contingency plans are in place in the National Probation Service to mitigate impacts
      reformed online services such as divorce and probate have continued to work throughout the disruption
      hearings are continuing to progress in our courts (though we appreciate the extra burden placed on court users still without network access)
      75 per cent of court staff are back on working IT systems

      Impact on defendants’ release

      It is not true that defendants could be released as a result of network issues.

      The issues have caused frustration and inconvenience for our staff and users. But they have not led to detaining defendants or freeing criminals unlawfully.
      Criminal Justice secure email system (CJSM)

      The separate and unrelated issue last week affecting 12.5 per cent of users of the Criminal Justice secure email system (CJSM) has now been resolved.

      All users can currently send and receive secure emails and we have restored the email history of all inboxes affected.
      Why has this happened?

      The network disruption initially affected devices connecting to the main MoJ network. This network is also used by HMCTS and other MoJ agencies and a number of arms-length bodies.

      Together with our suppliers Atos and Microsoft, we are working hard to identify the root cause of the issues.

      It is not the result of a cyber attack and there has been no loss of data.

      The network issues are unrelated to our £1 billion modernisation of the courts system. The disruption in recent days has been to the existing Ministry of Justice network. The Common Platform system is still in testing phase so, contrary to earlier reports, has not been affected.
      Keeping up-to-date

      Teams will continue to work around the clock to resolve the remaining issues. We will continue to update this news story with progress made.

      Delete
  22. Lucy Frazer in HoC earlier:

    https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-01-23/debates/52E2C56C-50C0-4712-B736-39AF14C71714/CourtsITSystem#contribution-C11B2888-CB46-4E45-9D7B-B177FD9ABB74

    In essence:


    * Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East, Lab)
    Urgent Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on the failure of the central courts IT system.


    * The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Lucy Frazer)

    I am grateful for the opportunity to update the House on the IT issues facing the Ministry of Justice over recent days.

    I start by apologising to those who have been affected by the intermittent disruption, which was caused by an infrastructure failure in our supplier’s data centre. Although services have continued to operate and court hearings have continued, we know how frustrating this is for everyone. The issue is that some of our staff in the Courts and Tribunals Service, the Legal Aid Agency, probation and Ministry of Justice headquarters have been unable to log on to their computers, but we have contingency plans in place to make sure that trials can go ahead as planned.

    The Prison Service has not been affected and—to correct inaccurate reporting—criminals have not gone free as a result of the problem. We have been working closely with our suppliers, Atos and Microsoft, to get our systems working again, and yesterday we had restored services to 180 court sites, including the largest ones. Today, 90% of staff have working computer systems. Work continues to restore services and we expect the remainder of the court sites to be fully operational by the time they open tomorrow morning. We are very disappointed that our suppliers have not yet been able to resolve the network problems in full.

    This afternoon, the permanent secretary, Sir Richard Heaton, will meet the chief executive of Atos and write personally to all members of the judiciary. I am very grateful to all our staff who have been working tirelessly and around the clock, alongside our suppliers, to resolve the issues.


    Qureshi - Reports in The Times suggested that there is a risk of defendants being released before trial. Will the Minister confirm whether any defendants have been released without trial?

    Frazer - She suggested that defendants were being released. I hope she heard in my initial reply that that was incorrect reporting. No prisoners have been released. The prison system is different from the MOJ’s and I repeat that no prisoners have been released as a result of the problem.


    *** That is NOT an answer to the question...***

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    1. The brass-neck of the MoJ is impressive. MP Yasmin Qureshi was asking about defendants being released without trial, i.e. released from the jurisdiction of the court. That MIGHT mean being released from prison if they were remanded into custody pre-trial, but it also includes (probably the majority) defendants bailed, whether conditionally or otherwise. Frazer's non-answer is one of those *telling* strategies much-loved of politicians when they don't want to give anything away.

      EVERYTHING about this bullying, deceitful government & the eager lick-spittles that support it is utterly suspect.

      May is one of the worst offenders, more than happy to brazenly tell blatant lies for her own ends; more than happy to bribe, bully & make empty promises just so long as she gets her own way.

      £1bn of taxpayer money to the DUP; cosy dinner parties at Chequers with Theresa & Phillip for DUP MPs & their partners; private deals behind closed doors - "the nation has spoken"

      Delete
  23. BBC NEWS.

    Lives are being put at risk across the East Midlands because of poor probation services, trade unions have claimed.

    A report by HM Inspectorate of Probationassessed the privately-run community rehabilitation company for the region as "requiring improvement", the second-lowest rating.

    It highlights domestic violence and child safeguarding as areas of particular concern.

    A spokesman for the probation company said it will learn from the report.

    Latest news and stories from the East Midlands

    Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland (DLNR) is one of two community rehabilitation companies (CRCs) owned by the Reducing Reoffending Partnership inspected in the past year.

    Its sister company, which covers Staffordshire and the West Midlands, received the same rating.

    'Slip off the radar'

    While acknowledging "tight" resources, the inspection found "poor-quality" assessments meant the risk of harm in domestic violence and child safeguarding was "not being managed properly", with staff unable to undertake "essential" supervision due to high workloads and "insufficient skills and knowledge".

    Five recommendations were made, including providing staff "with the knowledge and skills... to keep other people safe".

    Ian Lawrence from the National Association of Probation Officers said "under-funded" contracts do not give companies enough money to improve, adding "people will die" if supervision for domestic violence and other services does not improve.

    "The right information needs to be available so the judiciary can make the right judgments, our people need the right information to be able to make recommendations, and most of all we need the facilities to see these people regularly, otherwise they could slip off the radar," he said.

    DLNR said its employees "work hard" to reduce reoffending rates.

    The company said it would use the report's findings to strengthen its work.


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    1. it wont, it is cutting more.

      Delete
    2. Yes I agree the cuts have only just started . Upw units Around east mids trying to get offenders to report to site for there upw . So vans are not needed . Cost cut or what. I've even heard of one unit trying to get the placement to supervise the whole group . No supervisor needed. Lives yes will be at risk if proper trained staff are not in use. Where does the cuts stop and at what cost.

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  24. Video of Rgent Question debate in House of Commons today about MOJ IT failures

    Probation is even mentioned - but not as much as others as they josh each other about judicial wives and husbands.

    it lasts about 25 minutes

    https://goo.gl/VGjwX3

    here is a link to a picture of the minister Lucy Frazer as she answers

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DxnBwS_XcAAgxLf.jpg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry the short link does not work properly to the video - I hope this does

      https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/25365dd2-74e1-4bec-ba31-f70a32d547ca?in=12:44:00&out=13:09:00

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  25. Computer services are not restored in all offices and not everyone can send and receive e mails. prisons will not allow wi-fi, dongles or mi-fi, and the chaos which prevails has not prevented the parole board from sending reprimands about overdue reports.
    I don’t envisage our glorious leaders staffing the barricades in our defence as once again, their silence is deafening.
    Keep sending the money ( and the gongs,) we’re alright Jack!

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  26. I don't quite recall how many CRC inspections there have been since the privatisation of Probation Services, I'm guessing 12 to 15, of which I recall only one, Durham, which had a reasonable write up. The rest have ranged from an unacceptable average to dire with, as a previous comment alluded to, some consolitary sugar lumps to sweeten the otherwise unpalatable mixture. Let's be frank about what this means, the public and victims at increased risk and rehabilitation not much more than lip service paid.

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    1. Personally I think no IT puts everyone in an office at risk, both staff and service users.
      But given the number of sub standard inspections of CRCs, many indicating a potential risk to life, I'm puzzled as to why the probation inspectorate does not have the same powers as the prison inspector to issue an 'urgent notification' notice?

      'Getafix

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  27. I completely agree with you Gets fixed however every report published so far state how good the leaders are which as ever beggars belief if the staff are failing or should I say being failed by our so called leaders why are they not doing more !!???

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  28. Sorry Getafix !!

    ReplyDelete