The Release of Prisoners (Alteration of Relevant Proportion of Sentence) Order 2019 – An Update – St Ives Chambers

‘As of 1st of April 2020, the Government’s election pledge of delaying the release point of serious sexual and violent offenders came into force by way of the Release of Prisoners (Alteration of Relevant Proportion of Sentence) Order 2019.’

Full Story

St Ives Chambers, 10th April 2020

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

Longer sentences will not cut crime, say prison experts – The Guardian

‘Boris Johnson’s hardline approach to justice will not cut crime and will only pile pressure on overstretched prisons, expert campaigners have said, as research reveals life sentences have already risen sharply.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 27th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Serious violent and sexual offenders to spend longer in prison – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 23rd, 2020 in imprisonment, press releases, sentencing, sexual offences, violent offenders by tracey

‘Serious violent and sexual criminals will face more time behind bars under Government plans to better protect the public and restore confidence in the justice system.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 22nd January 2020

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Calls to reform bail terms after lawyer stabbed to death – The Guardian

‘The case of a teenager jailed for life after stabbing a lawyer to death has raised fresh alarm about the practice of releasing violent suspects without strict bail conditions.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 17th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Family of murdered autistic man attack coroner’s refusal to hold ‘full and fearless’ inquest – Daily Telegraph

‘A coroner has been criticised for refusing to hold a “full and fearless” inquest into murder of autistic man killed by a dangerous criminal just out of prison on licence.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 4th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Mother to sue justice ministry after probation errors led to son’s murder – The Guardian

‘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.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 9th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bail changes to be reviewed after suspected rapists, murders and paedophiles released without restrictions – The Independent

‘Bail changes made by the Conservative government are being reviewed after the release of thousands of suspected violent criminals, paedophiles and rapists.’

Full Story

The Independent, 6th November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Violent hate crime against disabled has risen by 41 per cent in the last year, figures suggest – The Independent

Posted October 10th, 2019 in disabled persons, hate crime, news, statistics, violence, violent offenders by tracey

‘Disability hate crime involving violence has risen by 41 per cent in the last year, figures suggest.’

Full Story

The Independent, 9th October 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sentencing review to look at most dangerous and prolific offenders – Ministry of Justice

‘The work, which begins immediately, will focus on whether violent and sexual offenders are serving sentences that truly reflect the severity of their crimes. It will consider whether changes in legislation are needed to lock criminals up for longer – by not letting them out automatically part-way through a sentence. It will also look at how to break the cycle of repeat offending.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 12th August 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Stop and search is discriminatory, so why is it on the rise? – The Guardian

‘The first stop and search Jamal ever experienced was when he was 11 years old. Now, at 24, he has been stopped numerous times. Most recently, a stop became aggressive and he was hit in the face with handcuffs, but was charged and convicted with assaulting an officer. There is little evidence stop and search works in combating violent crime, but critics say it disproportionately targets young black men.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Girl gang members spared jail after bus stop attack on student – The Guardian

‘Four members of a girl gang who inflicted a “sustained and horrific” bus stop attack on a frightened Egyptian student who later died have been given non-custodial sentences.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Violent offenders avoiding criminal records through controversial community resolutions – Daily Telegraph

‘Violent criminals, burglars and sex offenders are among more than 100,000 people escaping prosecutions each year by opting for community resolutions, according to new figures.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 17th June 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Violent offences ‘dealt with informally’ by police forces – BBC News

Posted June 17th, 2019 in news, police, punishment, violence, violent offenders by tracey

‘Violent offenders are being handed informal punishments by the police, despite guidance restricting their use to low-level offences.Offences including burglary, sexual assault, violence and arson have led police to issue community resolutions, which do not involve going to court.’

Full Story

BBC News, 17th June 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Cricklewood Islamic Centre: Man who drove at worshippers jailed – BBC news

‘A man who deliberately drove at worshippers leaving an Islamic community centre has been jailed.’

Full Story

BBC News, 6th March 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Drill music crackdown ‘fails to address root causes of youth violence’ – The Guardian

‘Campaigners and artists have sharply criticised the police crackdown on drill music, warning this “punitive” approach will ultimately fail to tackle the root causes of youth violence.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 10th February 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

HMP Birmingham: ‘Signs of improvement’ at ‘worst’ prison – BBC News

Posted November 12th, 2018 in contracting out, news, prisons, reports, violence, violent offenders by tracey

‘A troubled prison that was taken over by the government is showing early signs of improvement, inspectors say.’

Full Story

BBC News, 12th November 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Five men jailed over unprovoked murder of Romanian man stabbed to death in London shopping centre – The Independent

Posted November 8th, 2018 in gangs, murder, news, sentencing, violent disorder, violent offenders, weapons by tracey

‘Five men have been jailed over the murder of a Romanian man who was chased down and stabbed to death in a London shopping centre, just weeks after he moved to the UK.’

Full Story

The Independent, 7th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Knife crime: Should stronger stop and search powers be used? – BBC News

‘A series of stabbings on the streets of London has led to a renewed focus on knife crime and how to reduce it. One power available to the police is stop and search, and Home Secretary Sajid Javid has recently emphasised its importance in tackling violence: “If stop and search means that lives can be saved from the communities most affected, then of course it’s a very good thing,” he told the annual Police Superintendents’ Conference in September. But what powers are available to the police and what is the evidence they reduce crime?’

Full Story

BBC News, 8th November 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police Federation launches legal action against government for ‘cheating officers out of pay rise they deserve’ – The Independent

‘An association representing 120,000 police officers has launched legal action accusing the government of “cheating officers out of the pay increase they should receive”. The Police Federation said it had lodged an application for a judicial review of the decision to ignore an independent body’s recommended 3 per cent increase amid a rise in crime, demand and the terror threat.’

Full Story

The Independent, 23rd October 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Number of supervised offenders charged with violent crimes rises 21% – The Guardian

‘The number of offenders charged with serious crimes including murder, manslaughter and rape while they were being monitored in the community has jumped by more than a fifth in a year in England and Wales, the Guardian can reveal.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 14th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com