New dawn for justice in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Combined Authority

A transfer of powers from Whitehall to Greater Manchester will see the region take control of criminal justice and offender management.

The criminal justice devolution deal will see the mayor and Greater Manchester Combined Authority take more control over local offenders and criminal justice agencies, including prisons and probation services.

Justice Minister Andrew Selous said: “I am a firm fan of devolution and I am pleased to join Greater Manchester’s journey towards a justice service that is run by locals, for locals - and has a safer community for everyone at its heart.

“The government remains of the firm view that that decisions taken at a local level, by people who know best how, when and where to spend their money, can bring lasting, meaningful, improvements to communities.

“It is this transformation that will allow us to design together an effective criminal justice system that better meets the needs of Greater Manchester.”

Justice devolution in Greater Manchester will place a stronger focus on rehabilitation, prevention, and harm reduction. The plans include greater involvement in plans for local courts, transformation of the youth justice system, a bigger say in probation services, more autonomy for prison governors, and for rehabilitating and resettling offenders.