Crime & Justice News

Thursday 26th August, 2010

Think tank calls for Youth Justice Board to be axed

Police Professional reports on calls by Policy Exchange to close down the Youth Justice Board, quoting Crime & Justice Research Fellow Max Chambers.

Wednesday 25th August, 2010

Departmental Briefing: Justice

Civil Service Live Network quotes Max Chambers, Crime & Justice Research Fellow, on the record of Justice Secretary Ken Clarke.

Monday 23rd August, 2010

'Bungling' prosecutors share £330,000 bonus

Crime and Justice Unit Research Fellow Max Chambers is quoted in an Evening Standard article that reveals that Crown Prosecution Service staff have received hundreds of thousands of pounds in bonuses in recent years, despite a recent 'damning' report on its performance.

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

Three quarters of public have 'no confidence' in how youth offending is being tackled

Think tank Policy Exchange today highlighted the problem of youth offending, and called for the scrapping of the ineffective and expensive Youth Justice Board, a move which would save the Ministry of Justice – under enormous pressure to cut departmental spending  - almost £100 million over 4 years.

Policy Exchange found that:
•    A survey conducted by the Ministry of Justice reported that - whilst 80 per cent of people believe that the criminal justice system respects the right of people accused of committing a crime – just 24 per cent have confidence in how young people accused of committing an offence are dealt with.

•    There has been a halving in the number of convictions for young men.   This decline cannot be explained by changes to court procedure nor offending behaviour of the youths.  Instead, it is due to changes in police practices and in particular, greater use of cautions.

•    At the same time, according to Home Office Statistics, 49% of young people (aged 10 – 25) report committing at least one criminal offence over a four year period.   22% admit to having committed one in the last 12 months.

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

Nacro urges more support for offenders leaving prison

Crime and Justice Unit Research Fellow Max Chambers is quoted in an article in the Western Mail on how the caution culture has failed to tackle youth crime.

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

Criminals let off by 'caution culture': 1 in 5 offenders escapes with slap on the wrist

Crime and Justice Unit Research Fellow Max Chambers speaks to the Daily Mail on the recent findings by Policy Exchange that too many cautions are being issued by the police.

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

Riding the legal aid merry-go-round

Policy Exchange research on rising levels of cautions being issued by the police is referenced in a leader column article in the Daily Mail.

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

Cautions 'giving out wrong message'

Crime and Justice Unit Research Fellow Max Chambers is quoted in a Press Association article on the failure of police cautions to address youth crime.

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

London boroughs where one in 10 police is off sick

Max Chambers, Policy Exchange's Crime and Justice Research Fellow, reveals to the Evening Standard that one in ten police officers have health problems that prevent them carrying out their frontline duties.

Wednesday 18th August, 2010

Too many sickies

Policy Exchange findings on the levels of sick leave in the Metropolitan Police are referenced in an article in the Evening Standard.