Raising the bar in the UK’s probation service – The Guardian

“The head of the London probation trust, Heather Munro, tells Rachel Williams how she plans to stop ‘customers’ reoffending.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Damilola Taylor killer returned to prison – The Guardian

“One of two brothers convicted of killing Damilola Taylor has been returned to prison after breaching licence conditions that were applied to him after he was released last year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Justice system delays endemic, research shows – Law Society’s Gazette

“Law Society research submitted to the government last week has identified a ‘lack of communication’ pervading the justice system that is causing delays throughout the process.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 24th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Hostel offenders risk to public – The Independent

“More than four out of five offenders in probation hostels pose a high or very high risk to the public, figures showed today.”

Full story

The Independent, 6th February 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Authorities to be probed over Naomi Bryant death – BBC News

“A coroner has told a jury to decide if authorities’ actions contributed to a woman’s death at the hands of a sex offender on licence from prison.”

Full story

BBC News, 31st January 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bulger killer Jon Venables was properly supervised, says review – The Independent

“James Bulger’s killer Jon Venables was properly supervised and he alone was responsible for his further offence of collecting child pornography, Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said today.”

Full story

The Independent, 23rd November 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

196 offenders charged with serious crimes after prison release – The Guardian

“A total of 196 convicted violent or sex offenders have been charged with a further offence of murder, rape or other serious crime while under the supervision of the probation service, according to Ministry of Justice figures published today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th October 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Former soldiers could make community service tougher for offenders – The Guardian

“A ‘dads’ army’ of former soldiers would run community service programmes for offenders under a radical cost-cutting privatisation plan that has shocked unions.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th September 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Probation chiefs’ ‘concern’ over community sentences – BBC News

“Probation chiefs are concerned over how they will cope with a move away from prison sentences to more community-based punishments, a survey suggests.”

Full story

BBC News, 31st August 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Damilola Taylor killer to be freed despite posing ‘high risk’ – The Guardian

“One of the killers of Damilola Taylor will be released early from prison, despite showing no remorse at his trial and probation reports stating he posed ‘a high risk’ of attacking more people.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th August 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Civil liberties row sparked by tough parole controls on terrorism act offenders – The Observer

“A major civil liberties row is threatening to erupt over the ‘unprecedented’ parole conditions imposed on members of Islamist groups now being released from prison having completed their sentences for terrorist offences.”

Full story

The Observer, 27th June 2010

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/

Probation staff admit to serious failures over sex offenders – The Guardian

“Probation officers have admitted to lacking the skills and training necessary to protect the public from sex offenders, according to an independent investigation into the police and probation services.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th June 2010

Source: www.gaurdian.co.uk

Police, prisons and probation ‘failing to tackle child gangs’ – The Guardian

“Police, prisons and probation services are failing to tackle the growing dangers of young people getting involved in gangs, according to a damning new report.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd June 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prison governors: short sentences do not work – The Independent

“The backlash against short-term prison sentences intensified today after the representative bodies of both prison governors and probation officers condemned them as expensive and ineffective.”

Full story

The Independent, 21st June 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police defend sex offender monitoring as 300 remain missing – The Independent

“Police insisted today they are doing all they can to monitor sex offenders as it was revealed more than 300 are missing in the UK.”

Full story

The Independent, 26th April 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

MoD is failing its war veterans, leaving many to face jail terms, peer says – The Guardian

“Britain should appoint a cabinet minister responsible for the welfare of ex-service personnel amid concern over the rising number who end up in custody after returning home from a war zone, a former prisons inspector says.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th April 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Parole chief: release more prisoners – The Guardian

“Large numbers of prisoners who pose no danger to the public are trapped in jail because society has become risk-averse over whether to release them on licence, the chair of the Parole Board for England and Wales said tonight.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st March 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prisoners denied release after fears of public backlash – Daily Telegraph

“Large numbers of prisoners are being held behind bars despite posing no threat to society, the chair of the Parole Board for England and Wales said last night.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 1st April 2010

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Jon Venables could be killed if his identity is revealed, key judge warns – The Guardian

“The judge who granted anonymity to the killers of the murdered two-year-old, James Bulger, warned last night that Jon Venables could be murdered if his new identity is revealed.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th March 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Inspectors call for review of ‘unsustainable’ indefinite prison sentences – Daily Telegraph

“Inspectors have called for a ministerial review of indefinite prison sentences, saying the current situation was ”unsustainable”.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 4th March 2010

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Probation service failing to learn lessons over murder of French students, inquiry finds – The Guardian

“Fresh concerns about the way dangerous offenders are monitored in the community were raised today by a damning investigation into probation service failings after the torture and murder of two French students in London last year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd November 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Criminals ‘under supervision’: Murderer Dano Sonnex – Daily Telegraph

“Blunders in the supervision of violent drug addict Dano Sonnex meant he was free to kill French students Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo last year.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th October 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Probationers commit 1,167 crimes – The Independent

“Criminals being supervised by the probation service have committed more than 1,100 serious offences over the past two years.”

Full story

The Independent, 1st August 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal action over student murder – BBC News

“The father of a French student murdered in London has begun legal action against British authorities over failures in the justice system.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th July 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Probation ‘told to under-spend’ – BBC News

“BBC News has seen an official letter which appears to cast doubt on claims by Justice Secretary Jack Straw that probation failings in the Dano Sonnex case were due to staff mismanaging their resources.”

Full story

BBC News, 19th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jack Straw accused of passing buck over French student murders – The Guardian

“David Scott, the chief probation officer who resigned over the murder of two French students by a convicted violent criminal and his accomplice, has launched a scathing attack on the justice secretary, Jack Straw.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Reports into the management of Dano Sonnex within the criminal justice system – Ministry of Justice

“The Ministry of Justice has published reports on the management of Dano Sonnex within the criminal justice system, following his conviction for the murders of French students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 4th June 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

French student murders: parents sue over killer’s parole – The Guardian

“The parents of murdered French students Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez are to sue British authorities over systematic failures in the justice system that contributed to their sons’ deaths.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Evil’ duo jailed for life over sadistic murders – The Independent

“A dangerous knife thug freed from jail by mistake was today jailed for life with a minimum of 40 years for the ‘sadistic’ murders of two brilliant French students.”

Full story

The Independent, 4th June 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Jack Straw sets out prisons and probation plans – Ministry of Justice

“Justice Secretary Jack Straw today announced new plans on prison capacity and the management of both prisons and probation, better to protect the public and further reduce reoffending.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 27th April 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

New probation trusts announced to cut reoffending – Ministry of Justice

“Two Probation Areas have been given the green light to start work as Probation Trusts from today as part of the government’s drive to further reduce reoffending and increase protection for the public.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 1st April 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Abandoned jail and probation computer project cost £155m – The Guardian

“An attempt to introduce a computer system for the prison and probation services that was abandoned after three years, after it had already cost £155m in public money, was last night labelled ‘a masterclass in sloppy project management’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th March 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Third of a million extra offences ‘due to cuts to probation service’ – Daily Telegraph

“Hundreds of thousands of extra crimes could be committed because of plans to cut the number of officers monitoring dangerous offenders, probation staff have warned.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th March 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Practice Direction: Enforcement of Children Act 1989 contact orders: disclosure of information to officers of the national probation service – WLR Daily

Practice Direction: Enforcement of Children Act 1989 contact orders: disclosure of information to officers of the national probation service; [2008] WLR (D) 346

“In order to ensure that an officer of the Service or a Welsh family proceedings officer would not be in contempt of court by virtue of disclosing information to an officer of the National Probation Service when a request was made under s 11L(5) or s 11M of the Children Act 1989 the court should give leave to the officer to make such disclosure.”

WLR Daily, 7th November 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Criminals on probation committed 120 murders in two years – Daily Telegraph

“Between April 2006 and April this year, offenders serving community sentences and suspended sentences were convicted of a total of 121 murders.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 30th October 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Reducing reoffending in London – Ministry of Justice

“A consultation setting out proposed priorities for the delivery of prison and probation services in the capital and the joint work between agencies to reduce reoffending.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 8th October 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Criminals walk free thanks to paperwork – Daily Telegraph

“A report has found that the paperwork obsession among police, probation officers and court officials lets criminals and suspects who go on the run stay out of the reach of justice.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 1st August 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Take part in an e-consultation into criminal justice spending – Youth Justice Board

“The justice reinvestment inquiry has been set up to examine whether the resources currently given to the criminal justice system are being used effectively or whether there are alternative strategies which would give a better return for society than traditional methods of dealing with offenders.”

Full story

Youth Justice Board, 4th July 2008

Source: www.yjb.gov.uk

Probation cuts lead to criminal sentence lag – Daily Telegraph

“Thousands of criminals are not completing their sentences properly because of funding cuts at the Probation Service, a new report warns.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th April 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Killer lawyer gets early release – BBC News

“A lawyer who stabbed his wife to death after she told him she was leaving him has been released after serving less than half of his sentence.”

Full story

BBC News, 7th April 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Community penalties hit by long delays – The Guardian

“Offenders who are ordered by the courts to undergo sex offender treatment courses or domestic violence programmes are having to wait up to a year because of a crisis in resources, a probation union survey reveals today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th March 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

R (Kelly) v Secretary of State for Justice; R (Bailey) v Secretary of State for Justice; R (Gibson) v Governor of Wymott Prison – WLR Daily

R (Kelly) v Secretary of State for Justice; R (Bailey) v Secretary of State for Justice; R (Gibson) v Governor of Wymott Prison [2008] EWCA Civ 177; [2008] WLR (D) 84

“Long-term prisoners who had been convicted of offences committed after 29 September 1998 and before 4 April 2005, and who after 4 April 2005 had been released on licence, recalled and then re-released having served three-quarters of their sentences, remained subject to licence conditions for the remainder of their sentences.”

WLR Daily, 12th March 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

£40m to help boost community orders and control jail numbers – The Guardian

“An urgent cash injection of £40m to promote the use of alternatives to short prison sentences was announced yesterday by the justice minister David Hanson in the face of a prison population which stands at record levels of nearly 82,000.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th March 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Investing in alternatives to custody – Ministry of Justice

“Justice Minister David Hanson has made a written ministerial statement on investing in community sentences.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 11th March 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Prisons, probation and the press under examination – Ministry of Justice

“Jack Straw has given a speech to the Guardian Criminal Justice Summit on prisons, probation and the press.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 10th March 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Straw sets out plan for tougher sentencing – The Independent

“Jack Straw, the Secretary of State for Justice, is to unveil plans to merge the prison and probation services into a US-style ‘Department of Corrections’ to try to get to grips with sentencing and the management of offenders in custody and in the community.”

Full story

The Independent, 27th January 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Increase in serious crime by offenders on parole – The Guardian

“Public confidence in the supervision of high-risk offenders released from prison suffered a fresh blow yesterday with the disclosure that 83 have been charged with a further serious offence, such as murder or rape, in the last year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd October 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rise in crimes by ‘supervised offenders’ – The Independent

“More than 80 serious offences, including murder and rape, were committed last year by violent offenders supposedly under strict community supervision.”

Full story

The Independent, 23rd October 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Disaster area’ prison and probation agency to be scrapped in weeks – The Guardian

“The government’s troubled £2.6bn programme to manage convicted criminals in order to cut reoffending rates is to be scrapped within weeks, the Guardian has learned.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th September 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Warnings over probation shortages – BBC News

“Thousands of people are not completing their Community Service Orders because of staff shortages within the Probation Service, a union says.”

Full story

BBC News, 27th September 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Multimillion pound “shambolic” penal agency to be axed – The Observer

“The government was accused last night of presiding over a ‘shambolic penal policy’ after it emerged it is to dismantle its multibillion pound flagship programme to protect the public and cut crime.”

Full story

The Observer, 23rd September 2007

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk 

Lack of assessment may lead to inmates’ release – The Independent

“The prospect of dangerous prisoners being released was raised yesterday by a High Court Judge who ruled that an inmate should be freed because of lack of facilities to assess whether he remained a threat to the public.”

Full story

The Independent, 21st August 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

£950m bill forces rethink on computer tracking of offenders – The Guardian

“The future of the computer system that is supposed to keep track of 300,000 offenders a year who are in prison or on probation is in doubt after ministers halted the programme this week. The moratorium follows an admission that the original £234m costing ‘proved to be optimistic’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th August 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Offender Management Act 2007

Offender Management Act 2007 published

Full text of Act

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

Fears offenders “not monitored” – BBC News

“Many offenders are not monitored or supervised properly because there are too many demands on probation staff in England and Wales, a report has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 10th July 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk