Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 28 November 2022.

Thousands more people will get access to early legal help over the next 2 years after the government announced £12 million of new grant funding today. (28 November 2022).

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 November 2022.

Victims will be better protected from abusers who share intimate images without their consent, under a raft of changes to the law announced today.

Under a planned amendment to the Online Safety Bill, people who share so-called ‘deepfakes’ – explicit images or videos which have been manipulated to look like someone without their consent – will be among those to be specifically criminalised for the first time and face potential time behind bars.

The government will also bring forward a package of additional laws to tackle a range of abusive behaviour including the installation of equipment, such as hidden cameras, to take or record images of someone without their consent.

These will cover so-called ‘downblousing’ – where photos are taken down a woman’s top without consent – allowing police and prosecutors to pursue such cases more effectively.

This will deliver on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to criminalise the practice, in line with previous measures this government has taken to outlaw ‘upskirting’.

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab, said:

We must do more to protect women and girls, from people who take or manipulate intimate photos in order to hound or humiliate them.

Our changes will give police and prosecutors the powers they need to bring these cowards to justice and safeguard women and girls from such vile abuse.

Today’s announcement builds on the campaign of Dame Maria Miller MP, as well as recommendations from the Law Commission, to introduce reforms to the laws covering the abuse of images.

The amendment to the Online Safety Bill will broaden the scope of current intimate image offences, so that more perpetrators will face prosecution and potentially time in jail.

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, said:

I welcome these moves by the government which aim to make victims and survivors safer online, on the streets and in their own homes.

I am pleased to see this commitment in the Online Safety Bill, and hope to see it continue its progression through Parliament at the earliest opportunity.

Around 1 in 14 adults in England and Wales have experienced a threat to share intimate images, with more than 28,000 reports of disclosing private sexual images without consent recorded by police between April 2015 and December 2021.

The package of reforms follows growing global concerns around the abuse of new technology, including the increased prevalence of deepfakes. These typically involve the use of editing software to make and share fake images or videos of a person without their consent, which are often pornographic in nature. A website that virtually strips women naked received 38 million hits in the first 8 months of 2021.

The government will take forward several of the Law Commission’s recommendations to ensure legislation keeps pace with technology and can effectively tackle emerging forms of abuse. This includes:

• Repealing and replacing current legislation with new offences to simplify the law and make it easier to prosecute cases. This includes a new base offence of sharing an intimate image without consent and 2 more serious offences based on intent to cause humiliation, alarm, or distress and for obtaining sexual gratification.
• Creation of 2 specific offences for threatening to share and installing equipment to enable images to be taken.
• Criminalising the non-consensual sharing of manufactured intimate images (more commonly known as deepfakes).

The move builds on government action in recent years to better protect victims and bring more offenders to justice, including making ‘upskirting’ and ‘breastfeeding voyeurism’ specific criminal offences, extending ‘revenge porn’ laws to capture threats to share such images, and using the Online Safety Bill to create an offence specifically targeting ‘cyberflashing’.

Ruth Davison, CEO of Refuge, said:

Refuge welcomes these reforms and is pleased to see progress in tackling abuse perpetrated via technology. As the only frontline service with a specialist tech abuse team, Refuge is uniquely placed to support survivors who experience this form of abuse.

We campaigned successfully for threatening to share intimate images with intent to cause distress to be made a crime, via the Domestic Abuse Act, and these reforms will further ensure police and law enforcement agencies rightly investigate and prosecute these serious offences.

Tech abuse can take many forms, and Refuge hopes that these changes will signal the start of a much broader conversation on the need for strengthening the response to online abuse and harm.

DCMS Secretary of State Michelle Donelan said:

Through the Online Safety Bill, I am ensuring that tech firms will have to stop illegal content and protect children on their platforms, but we will also upgrade criminal law to prevent appalling offences like cyberflashing.

With these latest additions to the Bill, our laws will go even further to shield women and children, who are disproportionately affected, from this horrendous abuse once and for all.

The government will bring forward the wider package of changes as soon as parliamentary time allows and will announce further details in due course.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 20 November 2022.

Terrorists who continue offending in prison will always face the prospect of more time behind bars, the Deputy Prime Minister announced today.

Under the tough new measures, all terrorist offenders who commit further crimes in jail – however minor – will be automatically referred within a week for a police investigation and potential prosecution.

This will increase the likelihood of them being locked up for significantly longer and create a strong deterrent against further offending.

Currently, additional offences carried out inside jail – such as vandalising cells or dealing in contraband – are often dealt with by prison governors, with a maximum penalty of only 42 days added to an existing sentence.

Today’s change means they could face much longer sentences if convicted in court.

The agreement between HM Prison and Probation Service, Counter-Terror Policing and the Crown Prosecution Service fulfils a key recommendation from Jonathan Hall KC’s landmark independent review into terrorism in prisons.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, said:

Terrorist offenders pose a grave risk to public safety and they must face the full consequences of their actions – whether on the street or behind bars.

This important change means any transgression will come with the prospect of significantly more prison time and keep our communities safer, for longer, from those unwilling to change their ways.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Matt Jukes, said:

Our core mission at Counter Terrorism Policing is keeping the public and our communities safe from the enduring and evolving terrorist threat.

This agreement demonstrates that our efforts to mitigate that threat, and protect our national security, are far-reaching and rely on collaboration with our partners.

Director of Legal Services, Crown Prosecution Service, Gregor McGill, said:

When a crime is committed in a prison there are serious consequences.

Today’s updated agreement continues to ensure that police, prisons and the CPS work together to investigate and prosecute prisoners who commit acts of terrorism or serious violence, wherever our legal test is met.

Those who commit crimes while serving their sentences risk further charges and longer sentences.

The agreement will make sure that breaches in behaviour by those linked to terror face the full scrutiny of counter-terrorism authorities – so that those who remain a threat are kept behind bars for as long as possible.

Those alleged to have committed potential terrorist acts in prison will continue to be referred to specialist police as part of the new pact, due to come into force in the coming months.

Today’s news is just the latest step in the Government’s drive to clamp down on dangerous and influential terrorists and keep the public safe.

Ministers have already delivered the largest overhaul of terrorist sentencing and supervision in decades, including ending the automatic early release of terrorist offenders and tougher sentences for the most serious crimes.

And in April this year, the Deputy Prime Minister unveiled measures to crack down on terrorist activity behind bars, in response to an independent review by Jonathan Hall KC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.

As part of these measures, a new £1.2 million team will ensure the most influential terrorists can be moved to one of the Prison Service’s ‘Separation Centres’ – completely apart from the main prison population.

In addition, £6 million will be invested to expand ‘Close Supervision Centres’, where the most physically violent offenders can be held – including terrorists. This will prevent their potential recruitment to extremist causes.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 19 November 2022.

Nearly 1,000 prison leavers have been tagged in the first year of a scheme designed to crackdown on booze-fuelled crime.

Under the scheme, offenders released from prison are fitted with alcohol monitoring tags if their probation officer thinks they are likely to reoffend when drinking. Those who break the rules set by the Probation Service around their drinking face being sent back to jail.

The initiative was launched in Wales last November and rolled out to England in June as part of government plans to stamp out the scourge of alcohol-related crime.

Alcohol plays a part in 39 per cent of all violent crime in the UK and roughly 20 per cent of offenders supervised by the Probation Service are classed as having an alcohol problem.

Around 12,000 orders requiring offenders to wear alcohol tags are expected to be issued over the next three years, covering both prison leavers and those serving community sentences.

Prisons and Probation Minister, Damian Hinds MP, said:

When more than a third of all violent crime is fuelled by alcohol, these tags provide vital monitoring to help cut reoffending and protect our communities.

Roughly 12,000 offenders will have benefitted from these innovative tags by 2025 – helping them to make positive changes to their lives and making the streets safer.

The tags help probation officers monitor offenders’ behaviour and support them to turn their backs on crime. They also provide offenders with the incentive to break bad habits as breaching their licence condition could see them back in prison.

Natasha (not her real name), aged 22, from Cardiff, has been on a tag since the beginning of September. She said:

I was nervous about being tagged but it does help. It’s a physical reminder for me not to drink.

I’ve been on probation before but this time I’m doing really well. I’m sober and not getting in trouble.

An offender’s licence will stipulate that the alcohol tag must be worn for a minimum of 30 days up to a maximum of one year. Those getting tagged either have a licence condition which requires them to go teetotal or have their drinking levels monitored during this time.

Judges and magistrates have handed down 5,939 alcohol tagging orders to offenders serving community sentences since October 2020.

Last year, the government launched another world-first, using GPS tags to track robbers, thieves and burglars. Around 10,000 tagging orders are expected to be made over the next three years to help stop criminals from reoffending and help police catch them if they carry on.

The move is part of the government’s plan to tackle crime, expanding the use of innovative technology to protect the public and drive down reoffending. The £183 million investment over the next 3 years will nearly double the number of defendants on tags at any one time from 13,500 in 2021 to 25,000 by 2025.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 17 November 2022.

Proposals that were put before the attendees included a graphic design consultancy and personal fitness business, as offenders bid for start-up funding at a unique event inside HMP Thorn Cross, in Cheshire.

The ‘Dragons’ – comprising local entrepreneurs, the public and ex-offenders who have started their own companies – voted for their favourite plan to help get it off the ground once the prisoner is released.

The winner was announced today by Prisons Minister Damian Hinds and will receive a grant of £400 – backed by Entrepreneurs Unlocked – which will support them in getting their business off the ground upon release, helping them to stay on the straight and narrow. Runners up were awarded £300 each.

Minister for Prisons and Probation Damian Hinds said:

Getting ex-prisoners into work cuts reoffending and makes our streets safer.

Entrepreneurship drives our economy and can provide a promising path for those who are ready to turn their lives around. It is heartening to see prisoners demonstrate the skills needed to succeed in business and life.

The event, which took place in Global Entrepreneurship Week, is the culmination of a 12-week course run by charity Entrepreneurs Unlocked, which aims to give prisoners an insight into the realities of running a business.

Sessions include training in finance, marketing, sales planning and developing a product or service – providing participants with the skills they need to integrate back into society and put a life of crime behind them.

Entrepreneurs Unlocked founder David Morgan said:

The Hidden Entrepreneur event is the first of event of its kind to showcase the entrepreneurial talent of people in prison. We will highlight this pathway for people that not only reduces the risk of re-offending but also demonstrates the social and economic value of entrepreneurship.

I am grateful to HMP Thorn Cross for allowing us to host the event, to all of our speakers for sharing their inspirational stories, and to all the businesses who joined us as together we can really make a difference in people’s lives by supporting them on their new entrepreneurial pathway.

Attendees at the event heard from a range of inspiring ex-offenders who have been successful in setting up their own businesses. These included H.M.Pasties, a start-up which works to ‘bring out the good inside’ by employing ex-offenders to make and sell pasties.

Getting prisoners into work is a tried-and-tested way of cutting re-offending – with those who get a job after prison being up to nine percentage points less likely to reoffend.

The Government’s Prisons White Paper sets out a strategy to reduce reoffending and keep the public safe, with a laser-focus on helping prisoners develop the skills they need to find work on release and turn their backs on crime.

The government is investing to reduce reoffending, which includes helping prisoners develop the skills they need to find work on release and turn their backs on crime.

The Prison Service’s (HMPPS) New Futures Network has been set up to connect businesses with prisons so employers can find and train a pipeline of skilled, motivated workers to fulfil their recruitment needs within a variety of key industries.

Earlier this year, the government changed the law so prisoners in open prisons can apply for apprenticeships in vital industries – and in October 2022 the first prisoners started their apprenticeships at big-name employers including Timpson and Greene King.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 4 November 2022.

The new prison – opening in 2025 – will hold nearly 1,500 prisoners who will spend their time behind bars learning the skills they need to find work on release, as part of the government’s drive to cut re-offending and keep the public safe.

The site will be the first prison in the UK to run solely on electricity, with solar panels and heat pump technology meaning it will use 78% less energy than HMP Wormwood Scrubs – a traditional Victorian prison – cutting energy costs to taxpayers by over £1.1 million a year.

The government will launch a competition later this year to select an operator to run the new prison. Companies bidding will be challenged to produce a ‘jobs blueprint’ setting out how they would work with local businesses to train-up prisoners with the skills most sought by local employers. The plan forms part of the government’s drive to cut re-offending and make our streets safer by helping ex-offenders find work and put crime behind them.

Minister for Prisons and Probation, Damian Hinds, said:

The new prison at Full Sutton will protect the public and the public purse, using the latest technology to cut energy costs.

Giving prisoners the skills in demand by local businesses will help them find work and turn over a new leaf – cutting reoffending and making our streets safer.

The new jail will be supporting former prisoners into meaningful work before it even opens its doors – with at least 50 ex-offenders to be employed by construction firm Kier.

The building project is also set to boost jobs in East Yorkshire, with a quarter of those working on the build and 40% of the construction spend falling within 50 miles – filling order books for local supply chain businesses.

Ministers today launched the public consultation to choose the name of the new facility – inviting people in and around Full Sutton to offer suggestions which reflect the culture and history of the area.

Councillor Jonathan Owen, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:

I welcome the start of the construction of the new prison which, when completed, will provide a great boost to the local economy and employment market with the creation of over 600 jobs as well as providing a focus on skills and training to get prisoners into jobs on their release.

The new site will set a gold-standard for energy efficiency – set to use 68% less energy from the national grid than even the newly-built HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, and draw 18 GWh less energy from the electricity and gas networks every year than HMP Belmarsh – which is equivalent to powering 1,200 homes for a year.

The start of construction at Full Sutton follows hot on the heels of HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Britain’s first ‘smart’ prison which opened in March. Work is also nearing completion at HMP Fosse Way, the new 1,700-place prison set to open at Glen Parva in Leicestershire next year.

Liam Cummins, Group managing director of Kier Construction, said:

Breaking ground at Full Sutton yesterday was a major milestone for this new prison. It builds on our successful partnership with the MoJ, where we have been operating successfully in close collaboration for the past decade.

We will deliver this new prison as a cutting-edge facility, built on engineering excellence that we have utilised on other projects, and using innovative sustainable methods which will achieve net zero in operation.

Alongside this, we’ll create hundreds of jobs throughout the lifecycle of the project, supporting local people and the supply chain, as well as providing opportunities for prisoners on release.

Jason Millett, CEO for Consult at Mace, said:

Mace has worked closely with the MoJ to deliver the New Prisons Programme, completing at HMP Five Wells earlier this year and bringing practical delivery experience to the entirety of the programme.

The new prison at Full Sutton will be a world-leading example of how a focus on net zero development can create positive, sustainable change. This milestone is a fantastic achievement for our teams and demonstrates our strength in delivering against the decarbonisation agenda.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 4 November 2022.

Charities across England and Wales will be able to bid for new money to run programmes designed to steer young people away from law-breaking and into positive activities aimed at teaching teamwork, resilience and discipline.

While the number of young people in custody remains at a record low, statistics show around 80% of prolific adult offenders begin committing crimes as children – with the economic and social costs of reoffending costing the taxpayer an estimated £18 billion per year.

The new funding announced today builds on the government’s work to catch and prevent youth offending earlier than ever – helping to prevent these young people becoming involved in crime or anti-social behaviour.

Earlier this year, the Deputy Prime Minister announced the biggest funding package in a generation to tackle youth offending and cut crime, including £60 million for early intervention.

Today’s news also delivers on the commitment made in the Prisons Strategy White Paper – published in December last year – to introduce further measures for early intervention to cut youth crime, keep streets safe and create fewer victims.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, said:

I have seen first-hand how local sports projects can transform the lives of young people from tough backgrounds, getting them off the streets and teaching them life skills including teamwork, discipline, and resilience.

That’s why we’re investing £5 million in innovative sporting schemes up and down the country. It is part of our £300 million investment to support every council across England and Wales in catching and preventing youth offending earlier than ever, making our streets safer.

Charities and organisations wanting to deliver the sports programmes will be able to bid for the money – with hundreds of organisations expected to benefit from the funding.

The Ministry of Justice will work closely with its delivery partner – StreetGames and consortium partners the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice and the Sport for Development Coalition – to oversee the application process and delivery of the funding.

Stuart Felce, StreetGames Director of Sport and Community Safety, said:

We’re really excited to be partnering with the Sport for Development Coalition and the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice to deliver this ambitious new programme from the Ministry of Justice.

These funds are a vote of confidence in the power of sport to provide young people with a positive pathway and to help prevent them from falling into the criminal justice system.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 1 November 2022.

The pilot in Middlesbrough and Manchester expands the scope of legal aid funding to more people who previously would not have been eligible for free legal advice, to help them address issues before they become more complex or costly.

The aim is to ensure people have a better chance of swiftly resolving legal problems, stopping them from spiralling into further difficulties.

Currently, many people do not access legal advice until too late, causing further problems, such as having to appear in court, increased debt, and even homelessness. The pilot will explore if these issues can be avoided by providing legal advice earlier.

The pilot advice will be offered to individuals struggling with housing issues, paying bills or experiencing problems with their benefits, with no means or merits tests required. To understand what difference the pilot service makes, participants of the pilot will either receive up to three hours of free legal advice and support or be signposted to existing advice services.

Justice Minister Lord Bellamy KC said:

Early legal advice can be invaluable for people that find themselves in difficult and stressful situations, helping struggling individuals avoid falling further into debt or ending up in court.

Through this pilot we are paving the way for more people to receive free legal advice, at an earlier point in time so that their problems can be addressed before they worsen.

A legal adviser can explain issues like council tax arrears, and provide further information about housing rights and how to apply for Universal Credit, if required.

Invitations to the scheme will be sent out to people who have fallen behind on council tax payments by Manchester City Council and Middlesbrough Council. Invitees will then be asked to complete a confidential survey to determine whether they have a legal issue that requires support.

After the 5-month initial testing phase, the Ministry of Justice will review evidence collected through the evaluation and use this to inform the design of a future larger-scale pilot.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 27 October 2022.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Beverley Thompson-Brown OBE, as a non-judicial member of the Sentencing Council, for a second term of 3 years from 15 June 2022.

The Sentencing Council for England and Wales was established by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing, whilst maintaining the independence of the judiciary. The Sentencing Council’s responsibilities include; developing sentencing guidelines and monitoring their use; assessing the impact of guidelines on sentencing practice; and promoting the understanding of and increasing public confidence in sentencing and the criminal justice system.

Appointments to the Sentencing Council are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Beverley Thompson-Brown

Beverley Thompson-Brown has spent over 30 years working in the criminal justice sector initially as a probation officer in London. She was Director for Race, Prisons and Resettlement Services at NACRO for 10 years and is currently an Independent consultant having recently worked on a Lammy-related project for HMPPS. She works across the UK, Australia, USA & Canada on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion strategies. Prior to this, she was a Senior Civil Servant at HMPS and was awarded an OBE for services to Race Equality in 2000. Furthermore, she has been the Chief Executive of Northampton Probation Service.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 October 2022.