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The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies welcomes the publication of David Lammy's review into the treatment of and outcomes for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) individuals in the Criminal Justice System.
But it regrets that David Lammy's terms of reference were drawn so tightly that he was not asked to review why BAME people are disproportionately targeted by the police.
A letter by our Deputy Director, Will McMahon, in this week's Islington Gazette (page 11) encourages residents to contribute their views about how they'd like to see the former Holloway Prison site redeveloped.
The Ministry of Justice is planning to put the former Holloway prison site up for sale this autumn. The news came in a letter from the Justice Secretary, David Lidington, to our Director, Richard Garside.
In the letter, Mr Lidington wrote that 'we will be seeking expressions of interest for the site from interested parties ahead of formal marketing which we expect to take place in the autumn'. Mr Lidington also indicated that 'redevelopment for a residential-led scheme is the most likely option'.
The Ministry of Justice should consult widely and transparently with public sector, private sector and civil society organisations on plans to electronically monitor those under a criminal sanction, if it is to avoid the waste and chaos that characterised attempts to develop a new satellite-enabled GPS tag. Parliament should also investigate the 'vast waste of time, energy and money' expended by the Ministry of Justice as its unrealistic programme lurched from one crisis to another.
Our Senior Associate, Rebecca Roberts, finally won her six month battle with the Ministry of Justice to release a report about the purported economic benefits new prisons brings to local economies. The disclosure of the report followed an investigation by the Information Commissioner's office. You can download the report below.
We have written to the recently appointed Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, David Lidington, urging him to listen to the people of Islington and consider their views and needs in any future decisions about the former Holloway prison site.
The letter is signed by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Women in Prison, Islington Kill the Housing Act, Islington Trades Union Council, St George & All Saints Tufnell Park Church, Islington Hands off Our Public Services, and Reclaim Holloway.
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies today welcomed news that police officer numbers in England and Wales were at their lowest level since 1985.
The news came in the latest police workforce report, released today by the Home Office, covering the twelve month period to 31 March 2017.
Last year we published research by Professor Steve Tombs of The Open University on the lack of effective regulation of pollution, food safety and workplace health and safety standards.
Yesterday in the House of Lords, Baroness Andrews cited the research in a debate on deregulation in public services and health and safety.
Our Director, Richard Garside, today called on the Ministry of Justice to scrap its 'vanity project' GPS tagging programme, and focus its energies on more pressing problems, such as the prisons and probation crises.
His call came in response to a damning National Audit Office report on the new generation electronic monitoring programme.
Among the report's findings were that the programme was: