`Dear Minister...' experts write open letters to incoming government with advice about criminal justice policy - others critically examine New Labour's record. Embargo: 00.01 hours, Wednesday, 10 March 2010. (10/03/10)
New Labour's criminal justice policies and past practices are critically examined and advice is offered to an incoming minister in the eve-of-election edition of Criminal Justice Matters (1), the magazine of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (2), published today. The pre-election issue, titled `End of an error', includes:
- A series of open letters, introduced by Professor Ian Loader and Professor Richard Sparks, titled `Dear Minister...' offer advice about steps the minister might, or might not, take including:
- Resisting the temptation to expand the surveillance apparatus of the state
- Reducing the use of imprisonment as the system is `bloated, full, and for the most part does not work'
- Not to overlook `the opposition to race equality policies which exist in the police and prison services' and
- Urging an incoming government to take a fresh look at the evidence base, with the help of a Royal Commission.
- Articles by leading experts, that are to be a focus of a CCJS conference 'Criminal Justice in an Age of Austerity and Change' on 10 March (3), discuss critically changes wrought to criminal justice processes over the last 13 years
One author, Professor Lee Bridges, argues that the drive to reach targets and control demand for legal aid has eroded the rights of suspects to the degree that 'This is truly a "Life on Mars" moment, a throwback to pre-PACE conditions and all that implies'. Professor Ed Cape writes 'what we now have is "adversarialism lite"'; he argues that the police have extensive inquisitorial style powers over suspects but with none of the safeguards that suspects have until recently enjoyed.
Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, said:
'We welcome this robust series of articles by leading experts that both critically examine New Labour's record and also offer evidence based advice to any incoming minister about how to reverse government's penchant for utilising criminal justice measures in an attempt to manage a wide array of social problems. Of particular concern, and at the centre of our conference on 10 March, is the erosion of suspects' rights in an apparent attempt to meet government targets'.
In addition to this critical engagement with the past and future of criminal justice policy in the UK, the March 2010 issue of Criminal Justice Matters carries a series of topical articles including:
Maurice Punch investigates police and organisational deviance in `Police corruption: apples, barrels and orchards'.
In `Crossing borders: migration and survival in the capital's informal marketplace', Paddy Rawlinson and Pete Fussey examine the experiences of migrants involved in the informal economy and organised criminal activity in East London.
Esther Efemini tells the stories of survivors of forced marriages in `Til death do us part: forced marriages in the UK'.
ends
Contact: Will McMahon: 020 7848 1695
Notes to editors:
- Criminal Justice Matters is the quarterly magazine of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. The views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily represent those of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. This issue of Criminal Justice Matters will be available to view online through the Informaworld website soon.
- The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies is an independent charity that informs and educates about all aspects of crime and criminal justice. We provide information, produce research and carry out policy analysis to encourage and facilitate an understanding of the complex nature of issues concerning crime. We are a membership organisation working with practitioners, policy makers, academics and students, the media and voluntary sector, offering a programme of events, publications and online resources.
- Conference: Criminal Justice in an Age of Austerity and Change - Wednesday, 10 March 2010. If you would like register a press interest in please e-mail . The day will consist of two symposiums, the morning focusing on New Labour's criminal justice reforms and the afternoon on what the future holds in a period of public spending cuts; in the middle of the day there will be four expert seminars looking in detail at different aspects of the changes brought about in criminal justice the last 13 years. This conference is jointly hosted by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS), the Centre for Legal Research, University of the West of England, and Centre for Criminal Justice in the Law School at the University of Warwick.
- The full list of articles is as follows:
EDITORIAL - End of an error
Rebecca Roberts introduces this issue of cjm.
TOPICAL ISSUES AND COMMENT
What will the future bring? Prison mental health care in England
Dina Gojkovic is pessimistic about the future of mental health services in prisons unless greater attention is given to budgetary constraints and service delivery.
Freedom of expression, apostasy and blasphemy within Islam: Sharia, criminal justice systems and modern islamic state practices
Javaid Rehman investigates the uses and abuses of certain interpretations of Sharia law and the Quaran.
Crossing borders: Migration and survival in the capital's informal marketplace
Paddy Rawlinson and Pete Fussey examine the experience of migrants involved in the informal economy and organised criminal activity in East London.
The media, criminals and `criminal communities'
Ian Marsh and Gaynor Melville consider the criminalisation of communities through negative media reporting.
Police corruption: apples, barrels and orchards
Maurice Punch investigates police and organisational deviance, followed by a response from Stan Gilmour.
Til death do us part: forced marriages in the UK
Esther Efemini tells the stories of survivors of forced marriages.
Building a restorative community
Stijn Verhagen and Alfons Ravelli argue that the Netherlands has a lot to learn from restorative practices in schools in Hull.
A winning combination? Professionals supporting survivors of violence are rewarded for their work
Sunita Patel and Sandra Harper describe the innovation and excellent practice honoured through this year's Una Padel Award winners.
THEMED SECTION: END OF AN ERROR
New dawn fades. Criminal justice under New Labour
Will McMahon discusses what might have been expected from three terms of Labour government and what transpired.
Toward a culture of complacency - criminal justice under New Labour
Lee Bridges argues that a drift back to a culture of complacency surrounding criminal justice is the most worrying feature of New Labour's period in office.
Adversarialism `lite' - Developments in criminal procedure and evidence under Labour
There is a real difference between New Labour's claim to be `bringing offenders to justice' and ensuring that justice is done, writes Ed Cape.
The changing role of the Crown Prosecutor
Many of the new measures introduced to speed up prosecution have not led to the efficiency gains expected and are depriving the accused of proper safeguards says Jacqueline Hodgson.
The toxic legacy of New Labour
Joe Sim argues that New Labour stands indicted for intensifying politically and spiritually corrosive policies in the criminal justice system.
Brown-nosing the rich
Steve Tombs and David Whyte claim that New Labour's period in office has been characterised by a craven attitude to business that endangers the safety of those at work.
The Asbo Jihad: a 21st century witch hunt
New Labour's focus on anti-social behaviour lacks a proper evidence base and has led to the persecution of those with mental health problems argues David Gregg.
Cuts as an opportunity for change?
Richard Garside considers the impact of public spending cuts.
IN FOCUS
Policy, purpose and pragmatism: dilemmas for voluntary and community organisations working with black young people affected by crime
Helen Mills highlights the contradictions and tensions for organisations in a funding climate that prioritises `crime reduction' and short termism.
CRIMINOLOGY AND POLITICS
Dear Minister..... Criminology and public policy re-visited
Ian Loader and Richard Sparks consider the potential for political engagement and evidence based policy, and introduce a series of letters to government from academics.
NEWS AND REVIEW
Trialling a new section in cjm for 2010, `News and review' features short pieces on interesting events, publications and book reviews. In this issue, David Scott reviews `Medical Power in Prisons', 20 years after it's first publication; we consider the events surrounding the firing of the government's chief drugs adviser, Prof David Nutt; and include a `round-up' of news, facts and quotes.
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