A lot happened yesterday that was reflected in a long comment thread. I think it might be useful to pull a few highlights out, but before I do I'd like to preface them with something I've said before 'being a probation officer and civil servant is completely incompatible'.
MoJ press release:-
The Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary, with the agreement of the Prime Minister, has today announced that Jo Farrar, currently Chief Executive, HM Prison and Probation Service, has been appointed as the new Second Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice.
This newly created role brings together HM Prison and Probation Service, the Office of the Public Guardian, Legal Aid Agency and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, and will support the Permanent Secretary in leading across the 75,000 strong Ministry of Justice group.
Welcoming Jo’s appointment, Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary said:
I am delighted to welcome Jo Farrar as the new Second Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice. She has a wealth of relevant experience in the department and I look forward to working with her in her new role.
Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary, Antonia Romeo, said:
I am delighted to announce the appointment of Jo Farrar into this pivotal position. As a major delivery Department, MOJ has a challenging agenda to protect the public, reduce reoffending and provide swift access to justice. Jo brings a wealth of experience to the newly created Second Permanent Secretary role, which will lead four of our vital delivery agencies, as well playing a major role leading the whole of the MOJ group.
Jo Farrar said:
This is a fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of the Ministry of Justice and a real privilege. People in the MOJ work incredibly hard to deliver essential public services and I am proud of everything we have achieved over the last two years. I look forward to taking on this new challenge and working with Ministers and the Permanent Secretary to deliver a world-class justice system.
HMI Probation press release:-
Napo is deeply shocked with the findings of this report. It is very disappointing that 4 years after David Lammy MP published his report into BAME experiences in the criminal justice system that so much is still left to do to realise his recommendations.
General Secretary Ian Lawrence said: “What this report shows is just how damaging Transforming Rehabilitation was and that it has led to the probation service going backwards in terms of how service users are managed. There is a lot of ground that needs to be made up once the service is reunified in June to tackle disproportionality for BAME people in the Criminal Justice System.”
As well as highlighting huge gaps in service provision for BAME service users the report also evidences the failure of other policies. Pre-sentence reports lack the depth and analysis that is required in order to ensure appropriate sentencing and sentence management. Napo has been campaigning for a return of professional judgement that allows probation to determine what type of report is appropriate rather than arbitrary targets set by the Ministry of Justice. The report supports this approach and a change in policy is urgently required.
Whilst this report shows that service users are being disadvantaged, what is perhaps equally shocking is that these experiences are also being mirrored by the experiences of BAME staff. Ian Lawrence said: “I find it deeply disturbing that our members are being discriminated and disadvantaged in the work place. Our member’s testimonies completely support the findings in the report with many reporting that there is no consideration or discussion when race related cases are allocated. The re-traumatisation of staff in this way must be addressed as a matter of urgency”.
A lack of adequate training is a running theme through the report. Napo will work with the employer to address this but it must also be adequately resourced. The cost cutting exercise that dogged the service for many years has led to training being cut to the bone. It is no longer fit for purpose as it does not equip staff to do their job and the Minister must now intervene and seek the funding required. If staff and management are not trained to understand race related issues, then it will continue to fail both service users and staff. The reunification in June is an opportunity to rebuild the profession and enable it to become a progressive organisation that can lead the way in the criminal justice system.
HMIP report into Race equality in Probation makes for uncomfortable reading
Today’s report has highlighted once again that probation is failing both service users and staff alike. Although the report does not reveal anything that many members did not already know. It has identified 15 recommendations. The Chief Inspector has also served notice that probation will be inspected again in 2 years’ time with the expectation that substantial progress will have been made by that time.
Here is the press release that Napo sent out in response to the report, which makes clear our serious disappointment at its conclusions.
Napo was also invited to offer a statement that has been included in an all NPS staff briefing. Here we have made it clear that while we will work with the employer to take forward initiatives such as the Race Action Plan and the development of new training programmes in the areas of diversity and inclusivity, we intend to hold the employer to account on behalf of our members.
Let us have your views?
Napo is holding a meeting of the Napo Black Members Network on Tuesday 27 April at 11am. Members who self-identify as black, Asian or minority ethnic are welcome to join the network contact: rsingh@napo.org.uk . The report findings will be discussed there and also at Napo’s National Executive Committee meeting this week.
In the meantime, if any of our members have any comments or observations on the report that you would like to share please contact Ranjit or the General Secretary.
For a copy of the full HMIP report into Race equality in probation: the experiences of service users and staff click here.
Probation service must ‘reset and raise’ standard of work with ethnic minority service users and staff urgently
Probation services must show greater consideration and confidence in their work with black, Asian and minority ethnic service users and staff, according to a new report.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation found the probation service’s focus on racial equality has declined since Transforming Rehabilitation reforms were introduced in 2014. Inspectors also found the service has no specific strategy for delivering activity to ethnic minority service users. More than 222,000 people are supervised by probation services across England and Wales. Around a fifth of people on probation are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said:
Mr Russell said:
HMIP BAME Report
Probation services must show greater consideration and confidence in their work with black, Asian and minority ethnic service users and staff, according to a new report.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation found the probation service’s focus on racial equality has declined since Transforming Rehabilitation reforms were introduced in 2014. Inspectors also found the service has no specific strategy for delivering activity to ethnic minority service users. More than 222,000 people are supervised by probation services across England and Wales. Around a fifth of people on probation are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell said:
“This has been a challenging year for probation staff and I pay tribute to the way they have pulled together to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. But the service faces other major challenges too – not least, ensuring that every service user, whatever their background, gets proper support and supervision.
In this inspection, we found very little evidence of probation officers speaking to service users about their race, ethnicity or experiences of discrimination. Some officers – by their own admission – avoided talking about these issues altogether. Data about race, ethnicity and religion was missing in almost one in 10 inspected cases. Sometimes staff met with individuals who had experienced discrimination or trauma, but no issues were recorded on their file.
These are disappointing findings. We have concerns about every stage of probation supervision from the quality of pre-sentencing reports – we found 40 per cent were insufficient in considering diversity factors – to the way that ethnic minority service users were involved in their assessment and sentence plans. Probation officers need to find out as much as possible about individuals to support their rehabilitation. How can you help someone if you don’t know what their life is like?”
Some individuals cited it was difficult to engage with probation because of previous negative experiences with the police, prison staff or with white people in other positions of authority. Some service users reported their probation officers were kind and well-meaning but did not understand their heritage, culture or religion. Links with local community organisations are poor and culturally-appropriate services are rarely commissioned. There are also few programmes to address racially-motivated offending.
The report also explored the experiences of ethnic minority probation staff. Key findings include:
Some individuals cited it was difficult to engage with probation because of previous negative experiences with the police, prison staff or with white people in other positions of authority. Some service users reported their probation officers were kind and well-meaning but did not understand their heritage, culture or religion. Links with local community organisations are poor and culturally-appropriate services are rarely commissioned. There are also few programmes to address racially-motivated offending.
The report also explored the experiences of ethnic minority probation staff. Key findings include:
- inspectors heard distressing stories of inappropriate behaviour towards ethnic minority staff including instances of stereotyping, racist and sexualised language, and false allegations
- ethnic minority staff were not always consulted or supported to work with individuals who had committed race-related offences
- many surveyed staff did not feel it was safe to raise issues of racial discrimination at work and lacked faith that complaints would be handled appropriately. Inspectors heard serious complaints had been repeatedly downplayed, ignored or dismissed
- of the 30 staff from our survey who had raised an issue of racial discrimination, only two felt the process and outcomes had been handled fairly
- some ethnic minority staff felt recruitment and promotion practices were not open and fair.
Mr Russell said:
“In a little over 100 days, probation services will be unified in England and Wales. This is an important opportunity to reset and raise the standard of work with ethnic minority service users and staff. At a national level, we want to see a strategy that sets out how the unified service will work with ethnic minority service users. Data should be gathered and published to identify and address trends, for example if particular ethnic groups are breached or recalled to prison at a disproportionate rate.
Training gaps across all grades need to be addressed. Training senior leaders and managers will lead to improved understanding and behaviour change. Training probation officers will ensure they understand the impact of racism and discrimination on service users’ lives and on their own practice.
There is also an urgent job to do to rebuild trust with ethnic minority staff. It was painful to hear stories of discrimination and this was made worse by the fact that staff did not feel heard or believed and were considered ‘trouble-makers’. There is a critical need to review the complaints and grievance process and train managers to deal with discrimination confidentially and sensitively.”
In an unusual move, Mr Russell announced his intention to reinspect this work again in two years. He concluded:
In an unusual move, Mr Russell announced his intention to reinspect this work again in two years. He concluded:
“HMPPS and the probation service are now paying attention to this issue but need to keep up the momentum. This work needs to be taken forward at pace, and real and rapid progress to further race equality in probation.”--oo00oo--
Napo press release:-
Napo is deeply shocked with the findings of this report. It is very disappointing that 4 years after David Lammy MP published his report into BAME experiences in the criminal justice system that so much is still left to do to realise his recommendations.
General Secretary Ian Lawrence said: “What this report shows is just how damaging Transforming Rehabilitation was and that it has led to the probation service going backwards in terms of how service users are managed. There is a lot of ground that needs to be made up once the service is reunified in June to tackle disproportionality for BAME people in the Criminal Justice System.”
As well as highlighting huge gaps in service provision for BAME service users the report also evidences the failure of other policies. Pre-sentence reports lack the depth and analysis that is required in order to ensure appropriate sentencing and sentence management. Napo has been campaigning for a return of professional judgement that allows probation to determine what type of report is appropriate rather than arbitrary targets set by the Ministry of Justice. The report supports this approach and a change in policy is urgently required.
Whilst this report shows that service users are being disadvantaged, what is perhaps equally shocking is that these experiences are also being mirrored by the experiences of BAME staff. Ian Lawrence said: “I find it deeply disturbing that our members are being discriminated and disadvantaged in the work place. Our member’s testimonies completely support the findings in the report with many reporting that there is no consideration or discussion when race related cases are allocated. The re-traumatisation of staff in this way must be addressed as a matter of urgency”.
A lack of adequate training is a running theme through the report. Napo will work with the employer to address this but it must also be adequately resourced. The cost cutting exercise that dogged the service for many years has led to training being cut to the bone. It is no longer fit for purpose as it does not equip staff to do their job and the Minister must now intervene and seek the funding required. If staff and management are not trained to understand race related issues, then it will continue to fail both service users and staff. The reunification in June is an opportunity to rebuild the profession and enable it to become a progressive organisation that can lead the way in the criminal justice system.
--oo00oo--
From Napo mailout:-
Today’s report has highlighted once again that probation is failing both service users and staff alike. Although the report does not reveal anything that many members did not already know. It has identified 15 recommendations. The Chief Inspector has also served notice that probation will be inspected again in 2 years’ time with the expectation that substantial progress will have been made by that time.
Here is the press release that Napo sent out in response to the report, which makes clear our serious disappointment at its conclusions.
Napo was also invited to offer a statement that has been included in an all NPS staff briefing. Here we have made it clear that while we will work with the employer to take forward initiatives such as the Race Action Plan and the development of new training programmes in the areas of diversity and inclusivity, we intend to hold the employer to account on behalf of our members.
Let us have your views?
Napo is holding a meeting of the Napo Black Members Network on Tuesday 27 April at 11am. Members who self-identify as black, Asian or minority ethnic are welcome to join the network contact: rsingh@napo.org.uk . The report findings will be discussed there and also at Napo’s National Executive Committee meeting this week.
In the meantime, if any of our members have any comments or observations on the report that you would like to share please contact Ranjit or the General Secretary.
For a copy of the full HMIP report into Race equality in probation: the experiences of service users and staff click here.
--oo00oo--
Just to prove the Tories' highly toxic formula is working just fine, the civil servant at the helm of the NPS is PROMOTED on the very day when a HMI Probation report reveals probation services in England harbour & exhibit disgraceful & entrenched racism towards staff and service users.
******
I'm not a contributor to any of the posts above but did start to ponder the power of collective action....in essence, staff at the NPS did this when they essentially/collectively refused to refer to "rate card services"...try as they might, pretty much "forcing" people to make minimum levels of referrals, at least in my area, and still people refused to refer to one size fits all dumbed down services delivered by private companies in the name of profit. Whether staff consciously did this or not I don't know, but it was still an example of collective action.
I'm not a contributor to any of the posts above but did start to ponder the power of collective action....in essence, staff at the NPS did this when they essentially/collectively refused to refer to "rate card services"...try as they might, pretty much "forcing" people to make minimum levels of referrals, at least in my area, and still people refused to refer to one size fits all dumbed down services delivered by private companies in the name of profit. Whether staff consciously did this or not I don't know, but it was still an example of collective action.
******
For Napo to be "deeply shocked" shows just how remote the union is from the workforce. In olden times members would be reporting such incidents & the union immediately challenging the relevant management teams. Now, it seems, such appalling practices are not noticed or known about (!?!) by the union for five or more years until HMI Probation uncover the entrenched racism. Now that IS deeply shocking.
For Napo to be "deeply shocked" shows just how remote the union is from the workforce. In olden times members would be reporting such incidents & the union immediately challenging the relevant management teams. Now, it seems, such appalling practices are not noticed or known about (!?!) by the union for five or more years until HMI Probation uncover the entrenched racism. Now that IS deeply shocking.
******
"Shocking report on Race equality in Probation. There is clearly much work to do and Napo will be there to hold the authorities to account and as as an organisation who provides a safe place for members to voice their concerns about all forms of discrimination" - Ian Lawrence. One might argue that HMI Probation was, in fact, regarded as the safer place for people to voice their concerns seeing as it is HMI Probation who have broken this disturbing & disgraceful news to the nation.
"Shocking report on Race equality in Probation. There is clearly much work to do and Napo will be there to hold the authorities to account and as as an organisation who provides a safe place for members to voice their concerns about all forms of discrimination" - Ian Lawrence. One might argue that HMI Probation was, in fact, regarded as the safer place for people to voice their concerns seeing as it is HMI Probation who have broken this disturbing & disgraceful news to the nation.
******
Report says it's 'insensitive and poor practice' to allocate hate crime cases to BAME staff without prior discussion. This is obviously poor practice. The report says some BAME staff may re-experience past traumas. Presumably those so affected should not be required to supervise such cases. But it can't stop there, can it? What about domestic violence cases where the proposed supervisor has been a victim, of sex abuse cases? This opens up the need for new protocols – to replace JFDI. The Inspectorate have known about JFDI, but I don't recall them ever expressing misgivings about this cultural cancer.
Report says it's 'insensitive and poor practice' to allocate hate crime cases to BAME staff without prior discussion. This is obviously poor practice. The report says some BAME staff may re-experience past traumas. Presumably those so affected should not be required to supervise such cases. But it can't stop there, can it? What about domestic violence cases where the proposed supervisor has been a victim, of sex abuse cases? This opens up the need for new protocols – to replace JFDI. The Inspectorate have known about JFDI, but I don't recall them ever expressing misgivings about this cultural cancer.
******
The report is very broad brush, there is no indication of regional differences. It functions as an overall indictment of weaknesses in probation practice. Presumably given the nature of the problem highlighted in the report, isn't the onus now on all those excellent senior managers to examine practice in their own areas and come up with action plans, etc? I won't hold my breath. It's also disingenuous of Napo to blame too much of this on TR.
The report is very broad brush, there is no indication of regional differences. It functions as an overall indictment of weaknesses in probation practice. Presumably given the nature of the problem highlighted in the report, isn't the onus now on all those excellent senior managers to examine practice in their own areas and come up with action plans, etc? I won't hold my breath. It's also disingenuous of Napo to blame too much of this on TR.
From BBC website:-
ReplyDeleteProlific burglars, robbers and thieves are to be tagged with GPS trackers in a bid to stop them reoffending.
Offenders will be automatically tagged for up to 12 months after being released from prison under a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) pilot. Gwent, Avon and Somerset, Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Humberside and West Midlands police forces are all taking part. The MoJ said tracking offenders 24 hours a day would act as a deterrent.
It estimated 250 offenders, who have served a year in prison, will be fitted with the tag in the first six months of the scheme as part of their licence conditions. During the coronavirus pandemic, the number of theft and burglary offences in England and Wales fell as many people stayed at home.
Minister for Crime and Policing Kit Malthouse said, with levels expect to return to those seen before Covid-19, the tagging pilot was "critical". "We want to make sure we help those offenders get back on the straight and narrow," he said.
"We think 24-hour-a-day supervision, through this tag on their ankle, will help them to realise that they're effectively being watched, and therefore choose something else to do, other than go back to their former crime. It's a rigorous supervision in a way that we haven't really seen before and we think it will have a big impact."
More than half of those convicted of theft reoffend within a year of being released from prison, according to MoJ figures.
It said these types of crimes cost the public £4.8m a year, yet 79% of theft cases result in no suspect being identified - compared with an average of 23% in all other cases. Following the pilots, the MoJ said it planned to roll out the scheme, run by the National Probation Service, to a further 13 forces in September. Tags have already been introduced in parts of England and Wales to monitor whether offenders who commit crimes fuelled by alcohol have been drinking.
The "sobriety tags" monitor sweat levels of the wearer every 30 minutes to see whether they have drunk alcohol. The probation service is then alerted if they have had a drink.
Just about to highlight that BBC article!
DeleteThere was also an article last week about anyone convicted of an offence relating to domestic abuse being tagged on release.
It crossed my mind at the time that current trajectory might see probation in the not too distant future, as an agency that is completely office based, churning out risk assessments and reports, and collecting and providing information to all the other agencies that are doing the work probation once did, without ever seeing a service user.
https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-03-09/domestic-abusers-monitored-with-electronic-tags-after-prison-release
'Getafix
Domestic abusers will be monitored with electronic tags upon release from prison in the first pilot scheme of its kind in the UK.
DeleteAround 200 criminals jailed for offences including physical abuse, stalking or harassment in London will be fitted with the GPS devices after their release as part of a year-long pilot. The £260,000 City Hall project, which will cover every London borough, will see probation staff alerted if an offender enters an area from which they are banned. This could include an exclusion zone covering a victim’s address, or if they are breaching an existing restraining order.
Concerns have been raised over domestic abuse during the pandemic, with the Metropolitan Police recording a 6% increase in these offences between March and December 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “Sadly we have seen a rise in domestic abuse during lockdown and as well as working to protect victims, it’s vitally important we also focus on addressing the behaviour of offenders to drive down this abhorrent crime. That is why I am investing in a new pilot programme – the first of its kind in the UK – to specifically tag domestic abuse offenders after their release from prison.”
The pilot follows a City Hall anti-knife crime tagging scheme launched in February 2019, which has seen 430 offenders monitored with the GPS devices. Tens of thousands of offenders are monitored with electronic tags across the UK, either by a standard device that is linked to a box at a specific address, or a GPS device that monitors location 24 hours a day. They are used to make sure an offender keeps to a certain curfew or area.
I'm looking forward to the introduction of the new Auto-Correctional Tags.
DeleteAuto-Correctional Tags have been designed by a friend-of-a-Tory-owned tech company. They will be fitted onto subjects and monitored by Serco/G4S, or any of the usual Government-funded fraudsters.
The GPS-enabled device monitors location, thoughts & assesses dangerousness of intent 24 hours a day by analysing the obviously guilty sweat of the offender. Those that do not sweat have nothing to fear.
Government research shows that just one refusal to accept the Tory narrative can lead to lucrative contracts, with £Billions of tax-payer cash being handed over to a series of private companies in order to present some facade of control.
Its understood 16.1m have already been ordered as the Government secured a best-buy deal at what is thought to be an extraordinarily low price of £1m per tag; an emergency reserve of 20m will be warehoused in a secret secure location in the event Brexit proves to be a total fuck-up.
Correction tax payers money ? I think it is the government's money and the country electorate asked for them to manage the books. Rejecting free internet school meals benifits increase in drug manufacturing re nationalised Brian's industries trains power gas postal and telecoms. TV and buses. No instead Britain likes taxation posh entitled arrogant white collar class divisions. Britain likes capitalism for the small trades a few quid instead of a bigger piece of the shared wealth. We like Branson asking for billions green stealing pensions right wing Patel Johnson and their likes. We love being skint struggling and most all seeing the poor even worse off so we can feel more accomplished . No it's definitely the government money as they give to their companies based friends not the people . Vote Tory you know its what we really need .
DeleteIt was a good days postings of very unhappy people Jim. Give yourself credit for staying with probation providing a place for concerns. The voice of working staff than the so called unions. A place for messaging openly than the secretive Napo face book club or clique. A place where so clearly Napo have grabbed instruction on what they needed to now while being seen so obviously out of touch and floundering with Ian Lawrences clear lack of ability. Thank you for staying on vigil keeping readers up to speed and a platform where we are fighting back in knowledge of the real dissatisfaction of probation staff.
ReplyDelete"
ReplyDeleteReport says it's 'insensitive and poor practice' to allocate hate crime cases to BAME staff without prior discussion. This is obviously poor practice. The report says some BAME staff may re-experience past traumas. Presumably those so affected should not be required to supervise such cases. But it can't stop there, can it? What about domestic violence cases where the proposed supervisor has been a victim, of sex abuse cases?"
This is a ridiculous take: the report is about BAME staff and service users being disproportionality treated by the Probation Service, a feature of this is case allocation amongst other issues as the report clearly states.
A recurring issue with racism is the need to minimise, generalise and move the focus away from victims. This is a common trope used by those who harbour unconscious bias and general racist sentiments.
Well yes and it officiates now that despite stopping short of calling probation institutionally racist we all know that it really is. Be proud of yourselves leaders of probation. All the equality talk is just talk.
Delete10:31: Seems it's also a trope to go around accusing others of racist sentiments when they make a point that grates with you. Your comment was offensive, but the bigotry is your problem.
DeleteTo refer to other forms of discrimination is not to minimise. Your quote left out the issue of protocols which was part of the context in the original post. To consider allocations to ethic minority staff in relation to racist offenders and then to include other staff who may have difficulties with other cases because,of their personal experiences, is merely saying there needs to be sensitive and non-discriminatory practice across the board.
Yes this is racial specific and should not be diluted and amalgamated exactly what's been wrong for years . Deal with the single issues on their specific merits. This is about ta e discrimination 1 subject.
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree with 1320...to me some of the posts illustrate where the problem lies....yes there is a massive problem with racism and the poster did not disagree with the HMIP points on allocation of cases. But for simply expressing a view that some of these issues are experienced outside of racism the person is instantly accused of racist sentiment and attempts to "minimise, generalise and move on". That may well be true, the person has tried to respond to say it was not...but accusations of "general racist sentiments" stifles debate and makes people fearful of actually expressing what they feel. Genuinely, I wholeheartedly participated in recent "talking differences" campaigns by purposefully and consciously choosing to omit to say what I actually wanted to...I genuinely feared reproach and organisational backlash....I purposefully and consciously edited what I chose to say. Probation culture means people are literally scared to express what they really feel out of fear....why do we allegedly not discuss race and racism with service users: perhaps we fear being misunderstood so avoid the conversation altogether. So please bear this in mind 1031 and 1400.
DeleteThis highlights the very real difference in the way we approach or understand material. My take was to focus on the issue than hear too often this is like that for everyone. It may be but for some it is far worse. I think that is important if you are the minority.
DeleteI think your commentary makes it clear people are afraid of backlash from peers or service and offenders. The facts minorities have a worse work experience than the majority white female . Less opportunities less promotion less career securities. I bet you these minorities wil report their fears are constant and not occasional.
DeleteNapo said it was 'deeply shocked' on the one hand, yet also says, ' Although the report does not reveal anything that many members did not already know.' This is illogical. How can you be deeply shocked if you already know?
ReplyDeleteOn the report itself: it's superficial. I don't for one moment underestimate the legitimacy of the various grievances held by ethnic minority staff, but as the report says that only two were satisfied with the outcomes of investigations into reported discrimination, was it really asking too much for the Inspectorate to have taken a closer look at the 30 cases and identified some themes, reasons, etc? If it was 'painful to hear stories of discrimination' for the Inspectorate, you'd think, in the circumstances, a little bit of drilling down could have been budgeted for.
He also says
Deletetackle disproportionality for BAME people in the Criminal Justice System
What the hell has he done in his role exactly . I'll spell it out for you
....,.,...,.,......
Law Society Gazette:-
ReplyDeleteCircuit judge promises to write monthly to defendant in mental health crisis
A Crown court judge has asked a woman to write to him every month as part of a community order after she was caught carrying a razor blade in a park. The order followed a court appearance by a 55-year-old Barrow-in-Furness woman with a history of self harm and previous convictions for carrying blades.
Sentencing, His Honour Judge Jefferies QC said: 'In my judgement, the laws about carrying bladed articles… you are not really the person they are aimed at. They are aimed at people who carry knives and blades to cause trouble on the streets and you are not that.
'You are absolutely right that the person most likely to get injured from someone carrying a blade is the person carrying it. I want to make sure that you are not before the courts again for carrying knives - even if it is only to harm yourself.'
The judge passed a two-year community order with 20 rehabilitation days which he said he hoped would help the defendant address her mental health struggles. He added: 'I would like you to write to me every month. Do you think you can do that? You have written me a very heartfelt letter today. I would like to make a requirement that you write to me every month.'
Saying that the requirement cannot be enforced in law, Jefferies promised to write back if the defendant agreed. 'It is pointless you writing to me if I’m not going to write back, isn’t it?'
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/circuit-judge-promises-to-write-monthly-to-defendant-in-mental-health-crisis/5107817.article
It is worth remembering that it was Napo that campaigned to have the Government FIRST give proper consideration to the needs of Black & Ethnic Minority people in the Criminal Justice System with an amendment to the 1991 Act - that made it all the way through to legislation. I think it was section 95.
ReplyDelete"95 Information for financial and other purposes.
(1)The Secretary of State shall in each year publish such information as he considers expedient for the purpose of—
(a)enabling persons engaged in the administration of criminal justice to become aware of the financial implications of their decisions;
[F1(aa)enabling such persons to become aware of the relative effectiveness of different sentences—
(i)in preventing re-offending, and
(ii)in promoting public confidence in the criminal justice system; ] or
(b)facilitating the performance by such persons of their duty to avoid discriminating against any persons on the ground of race or sex or any other improper ground.
(2)Publication under subsection (1) above shall be effected in such manner as the Secretary of State considers appropriate for the purpose of bringing the information to the attention of the persons concerned."
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1991/53/section/95
My searching has not found clear reference to Napo's involvement -But I remember it.
Helpful what your saying is it was Judy Mcknight knights team not the latest shower.
DeleteIt might even have been Bill Beaumont - I presume he was but cannot recall whether Harry Fletcher was involved - I know it was a contentious matter.
DeleteAnd here it is again, extracted, just to be clear because of the risk of losing the meaning amongst the wordiness of legislation:
Delete"The Secretary of State shall in each year publish such information as he considers expedient for the purpose of facilitating the performance by persons engaged in the administration of criminal justice of their duty to avoid discriminating against any persons on the ground of race or sex or any other improper ground."
Personally what the HMIP report has highlighted for me is the sheer lack of investment in post-qualification training, and particularly training about delivering supervision sessions and sentence plans and reflective practice in a meaningful way....indeed the bedrock of social work practice we were only just discussing here a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteThe whole ethos of the organisation has been "refer to another organisation" and lo and behold, there are few which deal with the issues of helping people to deal with traumas associated with racism or overcoming barriers to racism.
The little training there is has become focussed on processes...do your CRISSA in this way; make sure your risk assessment looks like that; you MUST it's MANDATORY to do a very basic child protection training online, or a very brief electronic overview telling you what "unconsious bias" is. Their solution to everything has either been investment of millions in electronic solutions such as "my learning", the Parole writing tool or the EPF tool and whatnot; or commissioning services via "other agencies". The solution is never to equip staff with skills they so sorely lack.
When was the last time we had meaningful ongoing professional training which facilitates and engages in reflective practice about race, dealing with racism and cultural prejudice; investing in us, as a staff group, in how to work with people to overcome these barriers and other barriers and the trauma experienced by so many, in this case relating to those of BAME backgrounds; when are we equipped to address these things directly rather than farming them off to "keyworkers" in other agencies? When was the last time we had such ongoing professional training? And then they say our expertise is in "managing risk" - how exactly? By writing a CRISSA entry?
I fear what's coming - a massive round of "let's talk diversity" sessions (they've already been advertised in London), massive pressure to "update statistics in Delius", coupled with a new round of commissioning so that volunteer mentors "specialised" in working with BAME people can do work that we are so poorly equipped to deliver directly, or possibly a "ten session toolkit" chucked on the intranet. Just think - when was the last time you had training in skills for delivering work with your supervisees or in reflective practice so sorely called for from HMIP? And if you were around long enough, did SEEDS really provide that to you?
How painful to read comments of service users in the report: “I wanted support for my childhood trauma, but I have not been referred to anyone or anything”.....and another, who pretty much sums up his feelings about attending probation as
"“I have no idea of their purpose. I just turn up. I tell them a bunch of lies and I go home”.
So sad.
@23:38's post = Transforming Rehabilitation explained:
Delete"“I have no idea of their purpose. I just turn up. I tell them a bunch of lies and I go home”.
And if it were possible to look at that person's case records there would not be a single typo, no form incomplete, all risk assessed, all boxes ticked, with management oversight by one of our excellent leaders noting: "a well managed case, no concerns".
It used to be that HMIP gave advance notification of cases to be inspected & thus all recirds would be as close to immaculate as possible at the time of any inspection. Presumably that's still the case?
So how much more worrying is it that HMIP make such critical observations of cases & case records that have have been polished to a mirror finish in advance of scrutiny. What about the reality of the day-to-day grind trying to complete records on an impossible caseload, happy to accept the lies of those under supervision because of the outstanding assessments, incomplete forms, looming deadlines, threat of capability, growing list of unread emails marked 'urgent' or 'critical'...
HMIP should be empowered to arrive unannounced & look at any case record there & then with the relevant case manager, no line manager in tow or glaring over a shoulder. That would give a true measure of the state of probation today. Not even Justin would be able to be equivocal about the picture such an inspection would paint.
"And if it were possible to look at that person's case records there would not be a single typo, no form incomplete, all risk assessed, all boxes ticked, with management oversight by one of our excellent leaders noting: "a well managed case, no concerns""
ReplyDeleteWell said. Couldnt agree more. I spend more time writing up a session than I spend in the session, and not in a good, reflective way, just producing a fictional structured account of a hurried (who has the time?) conversation. And cutting and pasting, cutting and pasting from one data base and form to another. Utterly dispiriting