Saturday 9 November 2019

A Recipe For Probation?

Thanks go to the reader for pointing me in the direction of a recently-published collection of essays 'Crime and Consequence : What should happen to people who commit criminal offences?' published by the Monument Fellowship. A cursory scan of the 419 pages confirms that there's much in this, the third volume, produced as part of a legacy project funded by the former Monument Trust, part of various Sainsbury endowments.

What particularly struck me is how 'probation' continues its seemingly inexorable slide into irrelevance and oblivion under the ever-tightening dead hand of Civil Service command and control, but look hard enough and the case for our being reinvented is just about discernible! Apologies to the respective authors, but I have quoted selectively in order to make the point. 

INTRODUCTION

Ok, so what should we do with people who commit crimes? That question, in this third book from a series prompted by the Monument Trust, is not as simple as it looks, but whether you’re an abolitionist or a supporter of harsh punishment, it has to be answered. Contributors to this book recognise that getting it wrong can have unintended consequences. Some sentences make victims feel worse, some contribute to reoffending, some increase the possibility of intergenerational crime. Put simply the answer to the question must be fair, it must also be intelligent. Our contributors have addressed the question from a range of perspectives and standpoints. They’ve responded in different and creative ways, through essays, poetry, collective responses; there’s even a play. They’re writing from many places including a number from prisons.


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Anne Fox and Alison Frater

--oo00oo--

RIGHTING WRONGS: THE NEED FOR DIALOGUE

What should we do with people who commit criminal offences? This age-old question has troubled theologians and philosophers for millennia and much ink has been spilled trying to answer it. I’m not going to try to summarise or analyse these literatures in this short paper – I suspect that those who have commissioned this book of essays are seeking practical answers rather than philosophical responses. 

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So, my short answer to this complicated question is this. When people offend, we should listen to what they have to say about it. We should talk to them about what they have done, why they have done it and how we might best respond to the wrong. In these kinds of sensitive and challenging conversations, rather than assuming a position of entitlement and moral superiority, we should ourselves expect to be surprised, challenged and corrected. If the dialogue identifies a need for some kind of help to assist the person to function and flourish in the community, then we might explore rehabilitative options. If apology and reparation can be made, then we should also explore those possibilities with all of those concerned. And if we are met with silence or resistance or rejection or violence, perhaps we may need, with regret, to make some use of penal power to impose constraints to protect ourselves and others. But, even then, we should ask ourselves, what were the roots of this silence, resistance, rejection or violence, and have we been complicit somehow in generating it – either because of our response to the offence or because of some earlier wrong that we have neglected to repair.

Fergus McNeill

--oo00oo--

MORE OR LESS?

Introduction

In recent decades criminal policy has suffered from ‘the politician’s fallacy’. This is the Whitehall logic first coined 30 years ago in the TV programme ‘Yes Prime Minister’, which argues: We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this. 


More often than not, the ‘something’ has involved creating more and more criminal offences and responding more harshly those who commit them. To be fair, the aims of dealing with people who commit crime have long included reform, rehabilitation and reparation to victims. But these ‘Three R’s’ are all too often outranked by punishment, deterrence and the protection of the public. It’s these latter three purposes which usually take priority in decisions about individual cases, new policy developments or the allocation of resources. With public concern about crime at its highest level since 2011, there’s a risk that criminal justice in the 2020s will take a yet more punitive turn. 

There are many reasons to be concerned about that prospect: 
  • the ethical, social and financial costs of punishment; 
  • the way it bears disproportionately on the poorest and on racial minorities; 
  • and the basic fact that it does relatively little to reduce crime. 
That’s why we need to adopt a very different approach. 

Doing More 

There are some activities in the existing system which we need to do much more of. 

One is finding out why individuals commit the offences they do and what factors lie behind them. Decisions about how best to respond to a criminal offence need to be informed by a genuine process of social inquiry into the context of what’s happened and the best way of addressing it. Probation officers used to prepare detailed and comprehensive social inquiry reports. Today’s pre-sentence reports have often become rushed and superficial – seen as a bureaucratic hurdle, to be dispensed with if necessary in the interests of efficiency and speed. Instead, they should be key to enabling the court to identify the right measures to impose in an individual case. 

Second, we need to offer more opportunities for people who commit offences to put things right through restorative and reparative measures. There’s good evidence that Restorative Justice (RJ) has positive effects by giving victims the chance to tell offenders about the impact of their crime and get an apology. Yet, despite support from successive governments, the proportion of incidents where victims are given the chance to meet the offender halved between 2010 and 2017 to just 4% – this is in spite of the fact that in almost a quarter of incidents victims say they would have accepted an offer to meet the offender. We clearly need to invest more in timely and effective mechanisms for engaging the parties involved and organising restorative activities whether conferences or mediation sessions.

Third, people who persistently commit offences need a much wider range of assistance to change direction with the necessary treatment, help and support available on the required scale – both in custody and in the community. This isn’t about developing and accrediting complex new psychological programmes but taking simpler, but more wide ranging, steps – for example, to ensure that life inside prison resembles life outside, where possible, and that people serving jail terms are encouraged and inspired make changes to their lives and desist from crime. 

On the outside, if that’s to be a reality, they will often need: 
  • access to employment or some type of income, 
  • access to education, 
  • suitable housing accommodation, 
  • medical services and addiction treatment services, 
  • debt counselling 
  • and supportive relationships to be able to sustain a new way of life.
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Rob Allen

--oo00oo--

WHY THE ‘WHY’ MATTERS

As the movement of justice reform in the United States has gained traction in recent years at both local and national level, debates have swirled around everything from bail practices to charging decisions, risk assessment, sentencing reform, mass incarceration and more. But at its heart, much of the debate can be boiled down to one question: What should happen to people who commit criminal offences? For centuries, the traditional court system’s response has been fairly uniform – determine what happened (by plea or trial), consider the individual’s criminal history (if any), and calculate a corresponding sentence (of course, in some circumstances, the individual may be acquitted entirely). The more serious the charge and more substantial the person’s criminal history, the heftier the sentence. 

The flaw with such an approach is that it overlooks the most critical question of all: Why did this person commit this offence? Problem solving courts were developed to address precisely this question, because if we do not address the underlying issues that led someone to commit an offence, how can we expect to change their behavior? The traditional approach to justice has produced high rates of recidivism, lack of confidence in justice, bloated federal, state and local budgets and a trail of unsatisfied victims. The problem-solving approach, in contrast, seeks to identify those underlying issues – such as substance abuse, mental health issues, trauma, unemployment, and so forth – and, where appropriate, use the power of the court to empower the defendant to address those issues. 

Once the root causes of the behavior have been identified, the system is then positioned to craft a response to address those issues, while balancing the need for accountability and public safety. To be sure, this is no easy task; but there are principles and practices that have proven to be effective in reducing recidivism while simultaneously promoting confidence in that justice system. These are the same principles that form the foundation of problem-solving courts in our system, and they should inform both the process and the outcome of a case. 

Who is the accused as a person? 

Our courts have historically been built to process cases, rather than to help people. They often reduce people to a charge, allowing the mistakes they have made to define them and viewing defendants through an overly simplistic lens that strips them of their humanity, thereby making it easier to mete out punishment and turn a blind eye to the system’s failures. Problem-solving courts, in contrast, take a holistic view of the person, acknowledging them for who they are in totality – a father, a daughter, a caretaker, a friend, a mentor, and so on – rather than what they have done. We must start from the premise that anyone who commits an offence is more than that one act, more than a simple charge or docket number or a moment in time. They are a whole person, with a past, present and future; a past that has likely been marked by trauma and victimization, including many circumstances beyond their control; a present that exists outside of this case, where they are part of a community, with obligations to loved ones or employers, and where they may face enormous instability, pain and stress well beyond this case; and a future for which they have hopes and dreams, aspirations and fears. It is within this complex package that every individual arrives at the doorstep of the justice system and must therefore be viewed and treated as such.

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Judge Alex Calabrese and Amanda Berman

31 comments:

  1. Sorry to go off topic, but what's happening in Wales, any feedback? 3 weeks on Monday it goes ahead. What's happened to the staff transfers, which staff have been left behind to deliver programmes? How about CP, have the team remained as such or have any personal been moved to NPS to cover the stand alone Unpaid Work caseload? Seems to be very quiet over the west side of the country.!

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    1. Too much going on to be farting about on social media and the like. In a nutshell, management are issuing copious soothing communications containing no actual information, Unions are in dispute, some staff like me dont know where they will be working, and colleagues in unpaid work and programmes are stuck in the CRC being "market warmed" for sale to the next shysters. To be fair, napo reps have been round the office, and are supporting, but it all feels pretty precarious.

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    2. Some staff have elected to stay with the CRC as the prospect of civil service NPS is too horrible a prospect. Devil and deep blue sea

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    3. Why the hell is KSSCRC taking away ndelius when we are due to go into nps in 2021. No-one knows bow to use the new system. It just makes life harder rather than being able to concentrate on work with clients. Supposedly quicker to use but no real information or not that anyone really understands.

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  2. Imagine, a dialogue as a fundamental aspect of Probation work!!! Has Probation really arrived at a place where this basic needs to be restored, as if the practice had somehow become lost in the mists of Probation times past???

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    1. I think probation has been steered for many years now towards the American model of enforcement and compliance. It may have gone so far in that direction now that there's no way back. Particularly when other agencies of state like prisons and police are adopting a more socially orientated approach with their work.
      I also think that the content of today's blog makes perfect sense. There are many reasons why people offend, and it's unlikely that preventing offending can be achieved unless those reasons are examined and understood.
      As also recognised in the blog content, those who enter the CJS cannot be defined solely by the offence committed. The individual is far more complex then such a narrow definition.
      However, in today's neoliberal world and free market ideology, those that become entangled in the CJS are not just prisoners or service users, they're also customers and commodities. They're a market that can be tapped into by business, and even the MoJ and CRCs use some of the language of commerce such as supply chains.
      Probation is being renationalised, not because its the right thing to do, but because it wasn't making enough money for the profit pirates.
      Offending is a complex social issue, performed by complex social beings. Stopping offending requires social solutions, rehabilitation is something that just can't be enforced.
      The more probation becomes entangled with compliance and enforcement, the closer the service becomes to extinction.

      https://www.mmuperu.co.uk/bjcj/articles/profiting-from-the-poor-offender-funded-probation-in-the-usa

      'Getafix

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  3. The whole CJS needs an upgrade when it comes to Law enforcement. Some of our clients are trained fighting machines who have no regard for CJS, victims of crime or any regard for common values and respect of others. We have been grappling with this for as long as we have been going and still have clients who do not give a flying crap about anyone. Yes social issues do play a big part in this and latterly Labour sunk us into austerity with over spending but this goes deeper than politics.
    What is the answer is guess work as we have been wrangling over it for years but being soft on crime is not the option.

    People should fear coming into the CJS not think its a game and an easy option. Start with corruption in own ranks, sort out staffing and fundamentally better training across the whole CJS regardless of rank or file. Training staff and retention of staff is key not this shambolic disaster we have created.

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    1. "and latterly Labour sunk us into austerity with over spending"

      So the Tory austerity project is now being re-written as a Labour failing?

      I suppose it IS election time. Oh well...

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    2. Is Pritti Patel now following this blog???

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    3. I enjoy when realists come on the blog. Well said 17.23.
      It nice to have a different perspective whether you like it or not. Ask yourself what's it like to be a victim of crime, I think some of the responses above might focus on the issues not politics.

      Delete
    4. A realist speaks:

      Ms Patel spoke about the death penalty on the BBC's Question Time, where she said: "I do actually think when we have a criminal justice system that continuously fails in this country and where we have seen murderers, rapists and people who have committed the most abhorrent crimes in society, go into prison and then are released from prison to go out into the community to then re-offend and do the types of crime they have committed again and again. I think that's appalling. And actually on that basis alone I would actually support the reintroduction of capital punishment to serve as a deterrent."

      Delete
    5. Realism is based on fact and evidence, not opinion.
      Here's the reality.

      https://www-manchestereveningnews-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/surge-ex-prisoners-dying-after-17178530.amp?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#aoh=15733816166665&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.manchestereveningnews.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fgreater-manchester-news%2Fsurge-ex-prisoners-dying-after-17178530

      https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/18026680.woman-says-rehabilitation-not-helpful/

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    6. A growing number of ex-prisoners are dying on probation.

      The number of former inmates who die in the region in the weeks and months after their release, while they are still on the system's watch, has reached new highs.

      There were 80 deaths of offenders on probation supervised by Greater Manchester and Cheshire Community Rehabilitation Company in 2018/2019.

      This was up from 71 deaths in 2017/2018 and just 42 in 2016/2017.

      The number has nearly doubled in the years since the system was overhauled and privatised, with probation trusts replaced by Community Rehabilitation Companies and the National Probation Service (NPS), four-and-a-half years ago.

      Of the 80 deaths in the last financial year, 68 were men and 12 were women.

      Four were killed by another person and 31 died by suicide - more than twice as many as the 15 self-inflicted deaths in 2017/18.

      Twenty-nine of the deaths were due to natural causes and six were listed as accidental. The causes of the remaining deaths were unknown.

      The figures are given for Greater Manchester and Cheshire as a whole as the two places form a single Community Rehabilitation Company area.

      CRCs are private-sector suppliers of probation and prison-based rehabilitation services for offenders.

      They were established in 2015 and took over the work of existing probation trusts.

      But in May, the government announced plans to scrap CRCs and renationalise probation supervision after a series of failures.

      A report by then chief probation inspector Dame Glenys Stacey in March found that eight out of ten CRCs received the lowest possible rating – ‘Inadequate’ – for the implementation and delivery of probation supervision.

      At the time, Dame Glenys said: “I have seen first-hand the life-changing potential of probation at its best – but probation is not working as it should.

      “It is not delivering well enough for some of the most troubled and sometimes troublesome people in society, when they and the wider public deserve better.”

      Nationally, the number of deaths of offenders in the community rose from 964 in 2017/18 to 1,093 in 2018/19. That is in increase of 13 per cent in a single year.

      Today’s figures continue a trend which has seen the number of deaths rise sharply since 2014/15, when there were fewer than 600.

      The main reason for the surge that year was that a new parliamentary act meant all offenders sentenced to jail became subject to a minimum 12 months supervision in the community when released.

      That increased the total number of offenders under supervision.

      However, that number peaked in 2016/17, and has been falling since - while deaths have continued to rise.

      In response to the surge, the Probation Service has said it will be launching a review into the deaths.

      Offenders under supervision in the community are not in the care of HM Prison and Probation Service in the same way as offenders in jail.
      ___________________________________________________

      A WOMAN said attempts at rehabilitation by the probation service were ‘not helpful’.

      Rebecca Taylor appeared before magistrates in Worcester after breaching a community order imposed for theft, failing to attend a probation service appointment on October 13.

      The 33-year-old of Newtown, Offenham, Evesham was asked by magistrates if the rehabilitation activity requirement days were ‘helpful’ and she replied ‘no, not really’. She added: “I want the help. I need the help. I’m not getting it.”

      However, she said she was ‘quite enjoying’ the unpaid work.

      Taylor had already completed more than 38 hours of unpaid work but had 36 hours left to complete.

      Michael Weston, for probation, said there had been issues with a mixed work placement because she would have had to travel with an ex-partner which he accepted was unreasonable.

      She is now on a 'women only' work party, he said.

      He withdrew the breach so no further action was taken.

      Delete
    7. Hanging your dirty washing out in public domain:

      "Michael Weston, for probation, said there had been issues with a mixed work placement because she would have had to travel with an ex-partner which he accepted was unreasonable."

      "WOULD HAVE HAD TO"??? FFS!!!

      This is just one very public example of why Probation is currently fucked up & why there's so little support or sympathy for Probation as a concept or as a profession (if it still has that status).

      It takes a court appearance with all associated time & costs, then a withdrawal of proceedings, to determine what is a reasonable set of circumstances for someone to attend for unpaid work.

      Once upon a time it would have been resolved after a 5 minute conversation with the CS manager.

      Delete
  4. MoJ are being taken to court for damages in a case relating to the privatisation of probation.

    https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/09/mother-of-murdered-boy-sues-justice-ministry-probation-errors?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#aoh=15733281199269&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fsociety%2F2019%2Fnov%2F09%2Fmother-of-murdered-boy-sues-justice-ministry-probation-errors

    'Getafix

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    1. The Ministry of Justice is to be sued by the mother of a five-year-old boy who was murdered by her boyfriend after an inquest concluded that defects in the probation system contributed to his death.

      Alex Malcolm died in November 2016 after he was beaten to death in a park for losing a trainer by Marvyn Iheanacho, then 39, who had been released on licence from prison six months earlier after being jailed for assaulting five women.

      Alex’s mother, Liliya Breha, said probation officers had not warned her about his violent history or told her that he was barred from having unsupervised access to children under 16.

      In September an inquest jury found that a series of errors related to the privatisation of the probation service, introduced by Chris Grayling when he was lord chancellor, had “contributed to the death”. Breha’s solicitors, Birnberg Peirce, are now preparing a claim for damages against the Ministry of Justice .

      “The inquest hearing was so traumatic for me,” Breha said. “I relived every detail of the tragedy. At night, I cannot sleep, I have nightmares and have constant images of Alex. I feel so let down by probation. Why was I not told of the previous violence against women and girls? It was their responsibility to keep this monster away from me and the public. They had all my information so there is no excuse for not telling me. I will be taking legal action for these failings.”

      Iheanacho was convicted in 2017 of murdering Alex and sentenced to life in jail. In a note written from prison, he said probation staff had been aware of his temper, and issues with drugs and alcohol.

      “My probation worker did not do enough to help me settle down again,” he wrote. “Why did my probation officer not inform Liliya? If she had, things might be very different.”

      A probation official told the inquest that London staff were overstretched and dealing with an estimated 5% to 10% increase in their caseload.

      A regulation 28 report, issued by the coroner, Andrew Harris, to prevent future deaths, has been sent to the lord chancellor, Robert Buckland, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, and Jo Farrar, Prison and Probation Service CEO. This stated that several factors were to blame, including shortages of probation staff and of approved premises for prisoners on release.

      Harris said there “is still a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken”. He has given the government and the probation service until 11 December to respond, although this deadline may be extended.

      Harry Fletcher, a victims’ rights campaigner, said the coroner’s report was a damning indictment of the way the government had run the probation service.

      “There are systemic and individual failings by the authorities. Liliya Breha has a cast-iron case for claiming damages. This was an avoidable murder. The Ministry of Justice must reassure the public that this will not be repeated elsewhere and ensure that the probation service is properly funded.”

      Earlier this year the Observer reported that official data showed that the number of rapes, murders and other serious crimes committed by offenders on parole had risen by more than 50% since Grayling’s reforms to probation were introduced in 2014.

      Serious further offence reviews – which take place when a convicted offender under supervision is charged with another serious offence – increased from 409 in the year before the reforms to 627 in the 12 months up to April 2018.

      Paying tribute to her son after the inquest concluded that he was unlawfully killed, Breha said: “He was my world and my best friend, too. We did everything together. I’m so angry he was taken away from me. Everyone loved Alex. He was caring, kind and loving, and a very sharing child. He was perfect.”

      A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Our deepest condolences remain with the victim’s family, and we apologise unreservedly for the unacceptable failings in this case. We will respond to any letter sent by the family in due course.”

      Delete
    2. SFO's are things of nightmares for Officers and victims. Where do you apportion blame, me, the client, the service, the MOJ !!!
      Ever had an SFO and thought a thousand times in your waking day and night " could I, as an Officer done more to try and prevent it" when your hung out to dry like a kipper, by the service who is supposed to value you. Pre or post TR these are your nightmares and can happen to any of us at anytime. High risk or low risk, every case is capable of snapping at anytime with catastrophic impact on a victim and their families. Who feels the individual impact of SFO's more, tell you who it is...you and me.

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    3. I echo your concern totally annon @10.40. It's a heavy burden to carry, as you say not only through your working day, but blighted by it in all aspects of your life.
      It's unfair, and cruel.
      I highlighted the article, not to have a dig at probation, or any other CJ agencies, but as an example of how distructive it is to put public services into the hands of privateers and profit. Particularly where decisions can mean life or death.
      Blame for an SFO? Well that must sit with the perpetrator. If you comment an offence, you take ownership for it.
      But if the state are allowing people to leave prison, potentially violent, homeless and with a shit load of issues, including mental health, and made subject to a probation service that's under staffed, overworked and with no real resources to help mitigate the possibility of an SFO, then the state needs to answer as to why it thinks that's acceptable.
      It's my view that probation is broken, it dosen't work anymore. Not for the people working in the service, not for those using the service, and not for the public that pay for the service.
      It's partially an issue of perception I think. What exactly is its function? Help and assistance? Rehabilitation? Monitoring and enforcing licence conditions? Support for offenders or a dozen other things?
      I think it unfair that probation takes the biggest hit when an SFO occurs, but I think probation itself has facilitated that somewhat by accepting the mantle of a service that is a guardian of public protection. That position will always attract the largest portion of blame, and other agencies that may be involved will only be to happy to see the blame fall there.
      I'm sorry that people are made to live with the anxiety and fear in their live you express in your comment, but if you do all that you can, within the parameters your work traps you in, then you should never feel responsible for an SFO, nor should you accept responsibility for an SFO.

      'Getafix

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    4. some wider reading might help people gain perspective on stress at work - secret barrister's book Stories of the Law is one; This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, & Twas The Nightshift Before Xmas by Adam Kay are both also excellent.

      Delete
    5. Totally agree with the above, SFO,s do sit firmly with the perpetrator but holding a case that does commit an SFO is heart wrenching. You never get over it. I have lived with guilt for 10 years often thinking could I have done more! I know deep down I could not but there is no on/off button, it haunts you. This is why the above comments are correct and regular training is key.

      Delete
  5. Just in case it's been missed, competency related pay progression has been shuffled back by another year meaning automatic progression in both April '20 and '21.

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  6. INVITATION

    We are planning an MHCS Open Session on the afternoon of 14th January 2020 in Manchester.

    This Open session will focus on “How MHCS risk assess.” In particular, how the Secretary of State makes decisions on applications made by Restricted Patients using risk assessment techniques.

    We will also provide a greater understanding of the Secretary of State’s (SofS) functions under the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983. This is a specialist and broad topic which often proves challenging and the presenter will endeavour to provide you with a greater understanding of particular sections of the Act namely:

    Section 37 Hospital Orders, Section 41 Restriction Orders, Section 47/49 and 48/49 Transfers to prison, Section 45A and 45B Hospital directions.

    This session will be led by one of our Senior Management Team members.

    This session will be as interactive as possible so you will have an opportunity to ask as many questions as you like.

    If you would like to attend please, email: Kalpna.Verma@justice.gov.uk and provide the following information:

    Name
    Role
    Email address
    Organisation you work for
    Region you work in

    Any interest must be received by 2nd January 2020. A formal letter of invitation will follow.

    Please note attendance is via invitation only. We only have a limited number of spaces available.

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    1. Here are a couple of links to some background reading from MHCS (mental health casework section):

      https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/845326/Guidance_-_The_Designation_and_Management_of_High_Profile_Restricted_Patients__2_.pdf


      https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mentally-disordered-offenders#information-and-updates-for-stakeholders

      Delete
  7. Its official - the Probation Officer is dead; long live the "probation services officer". It even has its own webpage.

    https://www.probationservicesofficer.co.uk/about-us.html


    "MEANINGFUL WORK AND A CLEAR CAREER PATH.

    Become a Probation Services Officer

    Who we are: The National Probation Service, as part of Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) supervises high and medium risk offenders in the community and in custody. We are here to protect the public, support victims and prevent reoffending wherever possible. We believe everyone deserves a second chance, and we help offenders make the most of theirs.

    What we do: As well as assessing the risk our service users pose and advising courts to ensure effective sentencing, we work closely with many different people and organisations. This means community rehabilitation companies, job agencies, shelters and a whole range of service providers. Ultimately, our staff are the people who tackle the causes of offending, and rehabilitate offenders into the community safely. Our closest partnership is with offenders, directly managing them in the community, as well as before and after release as they reintegrate into society.

    We achieve our best results when we focus on the things that matter: making decisions based on evidence, improving and innovating, and sharpening our own skills and experience. By working fairly and inclusively, supporting our people to make the right decisions, and by taking accountability for our actions, we build trust. And we make a difference that lasts.

    The bigger picture: The NPS is part of the Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the organisation that makes sure people serve their sentences and orders handed out by courts. That includes running prisons through HM Prison Service and supervising sentences in the community through the National Probation Service.

    The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) manages us through HMPPS. They’re responsible for providing a transparent, effective and responsive justice system, and are supported by 37 agencies and public bodies that make sure everything we do meets high standards and ties into government policy.

    THE ROLE
    Tackling the root cause of offending is never going to be without its challenges. But helping someone turn their life around is immensely rewarding"

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  8. Basic probation recipe (updated)

    Prep: 5 mins
    Cook the books: take as long as you want
    Task Level: Easy
    Serves: CEOs, shareholders, politicians, self-satisfied pricks

    Method

    1. Throw away the beaten staff. Turn up the heat until all resistance has melted and rational argument is turned into moaning.

    2. Pour the cash into the bank. Tilt the playing field ever so slightly from one side to another to allow the spin to swirl and cover the audit trail completely. Let the books cook for an extra £80m then scrape through an inspection.

    3. Tilt the playing field again & allow the bank to fill back up with more cash – about £350m of public money will do. Repeat once or twice more depending on preference.

    4. At this point you can fill the bank with whatever you like – EVR, capital works, stolen assets, withheld pay - all work well. Scatter job cuts over the top of the financial cuts and fold. Slide cash into your pocket & consume.

    ReplyDelete
  9. https://amp-ft-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.ft.com/content/38ec74fa-0165-11ea-b7bc-f3fa4e77dd47?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCKAE%3D#aoh=15734752960058&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcontent%2F38ec74fa-0165-11ea-b7bc-f3fa4e77dd47

    ReplyDelete
  10. Another prospective Tory MP abandons after his use of social media to bully & abuse others is exposed. Independent reports "Tory candidate stands down after racist and sexist Facebook posts emerge: Antony Calvert called capital ‘Londonistan’ and said of female opponent’s appearance on TV, ‘obviously the BBC make up dept don’t work on Sunday’... Just days before the scandal broke, the Brexiteer had also given an interview in which he appeared to defend Jacob Rees-Mogg’s comments that Grenfell Tower fire victims could have escaped had they shown “common sense”... in another from 2011 he said if former Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi wanted to "wander the streets unrecognised he should surely have fled to Bradford"."

    Calvert's day job?

    Managing Director
    Calvert Communications Ltd, Public relations firm

    Sep 2015 – Present

    Address: 15th floor, Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4QPLondon, United Kingdom

    Calvert Communications was established by former councillor and twice parliamentary candidate Antony Calvert. We are a different beast to typical public affairs or political lobbyists in that our goals are to be advocates for the property industry. We work with a great list of clients all bound by one goal; to make development happen and to ensure the UK economy is driven forward by a vibrant and successful property sector.

    We specialise in the following areas:

    * Political Support
    * Community Consultation
    * Public Affairs
    * Thought Leadership
    * Building Relationships
    * Political Research and Analysis
    __________________________________

    And what's this?

    http://registrarofconsultantlobbyists.org.uk/investigation-case-summary-calvert-communications/

    Investigation case summary – Calvert Communications

    Between October and December 2018, the Registrar investigated an allegation of unregistered consultant lobbying by Calvert Communications, in relation to activities a vacancy notice job description indicated staff would undertake.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. https://www.offices.co.uk/building/millbank-tower-london/

      Millbank Tower, Westminster

      Iconic with superb views! Millbank Tower is located in the heart of Westminster offering flexible space

      An amazing address in the City of Westminster, Millbank Tower serviced offices are located over two floors – 1st Floor and the amazing 15th Floor (with superb views) giving you prime space in the heart of London.

      Flexible terms to suit all businesses
      A prime address in a truly iconic building
      15th Floor offices have amazing views over London

      Prices?

      2 desks will cost £850 per month

      Delete
  11. From Facebook:-

    "Understand that RRP are making multiple redundancies across UPW unconfirmed it maybe as many as 40."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not enough upw orders? Or moving towards zero hours contracts? Or just too greedy? Perfect timing as ever - put staff under preXmas stress at a time of political hiatus with GE just around the corner. Prepare the shareholders & senior mgmt in case you need to do a smash'n'grab, e.g. a change of Govt.

      Delete
  12. David Fraser comments again.

    https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/licence-to-kiil-maim-and-rape-again/

    'Getafix

    ReplyDelete