Govt's approach to criminal justice 'contradictory'

Government's approach to criminal justice contradictory, report claims

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Monday, 08, Dec 2008 08:49

The government's approach to criminal justice is contradictory, a new report claims.

The study from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CJS) published today criticised the government for its justice policy, claiming it will place staff under enormous strain in the coming years.

As the government seeks to cut costs in the coming years, today's report suggest, the criminal justice agencies will face a "grim future of staffing cuts, wage freezes and increased work for those that remain".

Since 2001 the police, courts and probation service have all received above-inflation budget growth. However, the authors argue that once increases in staff levels and workloads are taken into account, as well as structural upheaval, the real-term budget increases "aren't quite so generous".

Since 2001 the Prison Service, for example, has experienced a real-terms fall of seven per cent in its budgets, placing the service under huge strain when taking into account the rising prison populations, the report claims.

As a result, the CJS suggests that government's policy on prison is "mired in contradiction", adding: "It is difficult to see how such an approach can be sustained in the long term."

"The government looks set to pursue the contradictory policy objective of placing ever greater demands on the criminal justice system while cutting budgets and shedding experienced staff," CJS director Richard Garside said.

"It is difficult to see how this amounts to a coherent policy framework."

Dr Nic Groombridge, a criminologist and former Home Office civil servant, added: "Neither as a criminologist nor as a former civil servant would I recommend simply increasing expenditure. However, the strains placed upon society by the current economic events and the stress placed upon criminal justice workers mean that the criminal justice system should not be overloaded and must receive adequate resources.

"Nothing to date or in the current plans gives me confidence that this will be the case."