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

John Sweeney guilty of canal murders – The Guardian

“A Liverpool-born carpenter has been found guilty of murdering two former girlfriends and dumping their dismembered remains in canals in Rotterdam and London.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cow manure fetish man is jailed by Cornwall court – BBC News

“A man with a fetish for cow manure has been jailed for two years.”

Full story

BBC News, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Adult and juvenile reoffending statistics 2009 – Ministry of Justice

“Adult and juvenile reoffending statistics for 2009 were published by the Ministry of Justice today, showing a fall in re-offending by adults and juveniles.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 17th March 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Naomi Bryant inquest: Failings in sex offender release – BBC News

“A woman was killed by a convicted sex offender after a series of failings by the agencies involved in his release, an inquest jury has ruled.”

Full story

BBC News, 10th March 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Young offenders leaving custody for life of homelessness and reoffending – The Guardian

“Children as young as 13 are being released from custody without a safe place to live, forcing them into a cycle of homelessness and reoffending, research has shown.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Repeat offenders with 100 convictions spared jail – The Independent

“Thousands of repeat offenders are being spared jail by the courts, despite having as many as 100 previous convictions, it emerged last night.”

Full story

The Independent, 5th December 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Can community sentences replace jail? – BBC News

“With the prison population rising, along with the cost of keeping people locked up, ministers have indicated they want to see fewer people serving short jail terms. But are community sentences a real alternative?”

Full story

BBC News, 16th August 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bulger killer Venables jailed over child abuse images – BBC News

“One of the killers of James Bulger has been jailed for two years after admitting downloading and distributing indecent images of children.”

Full story

BBC News, 23rd July 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Many offenders in jail too long, says parole chief – The Guardian

“Large numbers of prisoners are spending longer in jail than necessary due to the increasingly risk-averse attitude of the public and politicians, according to the chair of the parole board.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th July 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bulger killer child pornography case: Judge lifts ban – The Guardian

“A judge today ruled that the public can be told that Jon Venables, one of the killers of two-year-old James Bulger, has been charged with downloading and distributing child pornography.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st 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

Former head of prisons: short sentences don’t stop reoffending – The Independent

“Prison has no effect in stopping thousands of criminals reoffending and politicians should look again at whether it is a suitable punishment for minor crimes, the outgoing head of the prison service has said.”

Full story

The Independent, 9th June 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Jon Venables trial would not be held in secret – BBC News

“Jon Venables will not be tried in secret if he is charged with the alleged offences for which he was sent back to prison, Jack Straw has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 31st March 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Investors to pay for prisoner rehabilitation – The Guardian

“Private investors will pay for a project to rehabilitate prisoners and receive a return on their money if reoffending rates drop, under a pioneering plan announced by the government today which could eventually the way much welfare work is financed.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th March 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Scheme launched to reduce reoffending in short term prisoners – Ministry of Justice

“An innovative scheme aimed at reducing reoffending rates for short term prisoners was launched today by Justice Secretary Jack Straw.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 18th March 2010

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Short-term jail sentences cost Britain £10bn every year – The Independent

“The mismanagement of short-term prisoners is costing Britain up to £10bn a year, the public expenses watchdog warns today.”

Full story

The Independent, 10th March 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Reducing reoffending: supporting families, creating better futures – Ministry of Justice

“The framework, developed with the Department for Children, Schools and Families, sets out key tasks for criminal justice agencies and local services to support the children and families of offenders at each stage of the criminal justice system and beyond.”

Full report

Ministry of Justice, 3rd November 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Repeat and serious offenders are escaping court with on-the-spot fines – Daily Telegraph

“Repeat and serious offenders are escaping court because police just hand out a string of on-the-spot fines for easy convictions, magistrates have warned.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 19th August 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

New bid to cut youth re-offending – BBC News

“More than £8m will be spent over the next two years in a bid to reduce youth re-offending in England and Wales, the government has announced.”

Full story

BBC News, 3rd August 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Smith faces attack over offenders – BBC News

“Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is to face criticism from front-line police over the government’s ‘failure’ to stop persistent criminals from re-offending.”

Full story

BBC News, 13th May 2009

Source: www.bbc.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

79 high-risk offenders charged with new crimes after release – The Guardian

“Public confidence in the supervision of high-risk offenders released from prison suffered a fresh blow yesterday with the disclosure that 79 have been charged in the last year with a further serious crime, up to and including murder or rape.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st October 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Factors linked to reoffending – Ministry of Justice

“A one-year follow-up of prisoners who took part in the Resettlement Surveys 2001, 2003 and 2004.”

Full report

Ministry of Justice, 13th October 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Working with the third sector to reduce reoffending – Ministry of Justice

“The Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service have announced their commitment to further improve partnership work with the voluntary and community sector.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 13th October 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.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

Career criminals escape jail sentences – Daily Telegraph

“Figures obtained from the Ministry of Justice show that 5,000 career burglars, thieves and other convicts a year are escaping a jail sentence – a figure that has more than doubled in five years.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 1st October 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Half of all criminals re-offend within a year – Daily Telegraph

“Nearly half of all criminals released from jail reoffended within a year of being let out, figures have disclosed.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th September 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Repeat offenders could get cautions instead of charges – Daily Telegraph

“A Home Office guidance document says that providing enough time has passed ‘to suggest that a previous caution has had a significant deterrent effect – two years or more’, anyone repeating a ‘trivial’ offence can escape charges and facing court.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph,

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Restorative justice and reoffending – Ministry of Justice

“This is the fourth report on the evaluation of three restorative justice schemes funded under the Home Office’s Crime Reduction Programme from mid-2001.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 16th June 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Related link: Does restorative justice affect reconviction? The fourth report from the evaluation of three schemes (PDF)

Interventions aimed at reducing reoffending in female offenders – Ministry of Justice

“Interventions that targeted attitudes and anger, self-control, family processes, general educational needs and antisocial behaviour were associated with reductions in women’s reoffending. Overall, limited evidence and methodological issues resulted in conclusions that could not be considered robust or statistically significant.”

Interventions aimed at reducing reoffending in female offenders: a rapid evidence assessment (PDF)

Ministry of Justice, 19th May 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

‘Over 140,000 caught re-offending within year’ – Daily Telegraph

“More than 140,000 criminals are caught re-offending within a year of being freed from jail or sentenced to a community punishment, official figures have disclosed.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 10th May 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Home Secretary: We’re fighting back – Home Office

“A new ‘action squad’ will work with police and local agencies in every community to help them take on the problem of anti-social behaviour.”

Full press release

Home Office, 8th May 2008

Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

New national reoffending measures – a guide – Ministry of Justice

“An explanation of changes to the way the government is measuring reoffending rates.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 7th May 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Consultation launched on delivering effective services to turn offenders away from crime – Ministry of Justice

“A consultation on a new drive to reduce reoffending has been launched to establish how Probation Boards and Trusts will provide the most cost-effective route to help rehabilitate and punish offenders.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 9th April 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

One more chance for addict with 175 crimes – Daily Telegraph

“A serial petty thief convicted for the 175th time at a total cost to the taxpayer of more than £700,000, has been spared jail despite carrying out her latest crime while on bail.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 28th March 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Family visits ‘key for prisoners’ – BBC News

“The reoffend rate for convicts could be cut if the government did more to support the children and families of those in jail, campaigners say.”

Full story

BBC News, 5th December 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk 

David Hanson launches reoffending consultation – Ministry of Justice

“David Hanson MP, Minister of State for Justice, today announced the start of consultation on a new strategic plan to reduce reoffending.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 27th November 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Prisoners released early reoffend – The Independent

“More than 16,000 crimes were committed in a year by offenders released early from jail, the Government has disclosed.”

Full story

The Independent, 27th October 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Hunt for 18 of 1,700 prisoners released early – The Guardian

“The police are already hunting for 18 prisoners who are ‘unlawfully at large’ after being released among the 1,700 let out during the first week of the government’s new emergency scheme to cope with jail overcrowding, the justice ministry said yesterday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Early-release prisoners back to crime – The Independent

“Criminals released early from prison because of an overcrowding crisis committed eight more offences within days of being freed, the Ministry of Justice said.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th July 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk