Probation trust backs justice event

Make Justice Work logo

Greater Manchester Probation Trust has taken part in a debate hosted in Manchester to consider ways to radically overhaul the criminal justice system.

Make Justice Work (MJW), a coalition of experts committed to tackling the “crisis” in the penal system, believes it is essential to dramatically reduce the number of prisoners on short term sentences and studies alternatives to custody.

The organisation held a debate in Manchester town hall entitled “Community or Custody – which works best?”.

Speakers representing a range of agencies involved in the criminal justice system spoke for five minutes about the system, what they thought needed fixing and how they would do it.

They were then grilled by a panel including former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Ian Blair, Daily Telegraph columnist Peter Oborne and Roma Hooper, director of Make Justice Work.

Chris Noah, GMPT’s Assistant Chief Officer, was one of those who gave presentations, among others including Garry Shewan, Greater Manchester Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, and Paul Pandolfo, Business Manager for the Intensive Alternative to Custody (IAC) team.

Ms Noah said: “Short sentences are neither effective nor cost effective in reducing further offending. “Government figures show that 60 per cent of prisoners serving less than 12 months will reoffend within a year of release, and while the reoffending rate of 37 per cent for offenders subject to community orders is, in my view, too high, it represents a significant improvement to custody and represents better value for money.”

Ms Noah added that the key to successful programmes such as IAC was an Integrated Offender Management approach where probation and police work closely together alongside public, private and charitable organisations to implement a structured sentence plan.

“The skill is to plan a programme which is relevant and appropriate to the offender at a given point and to deliver it in a motivational manner which promotes offender desistence from reoffending and encourages reintegration into society,” said Ms Noah.

The session marked the launch of MJW’s national enquiry, which will explore alternatives to short custodial sentences and raise awareness among the public and policy makers about the need to change the system.