A range of new measures that gives communities more say in the way justice is delivered in their neighbourhoods, as well as making local criminal justice agencies more accountable to the people they represent, has been announced today by ministers.
This will include pioneering a new package of measures in 30 areas in England and Wales, to test a range of initiatives that will deliver justice for all and put people back at the heart of the justice system.
A third of the areas identified to form part of the Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice Green Paper are in London - Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Haringey, Islington, Barking & Dagenham, Lambeth, Waltham Forest, Greenwich and Brent.
A London project, from one of the pilot areas, that shows how local communities are having a say in how justice is delivered is Youth House in Canning Town, Newham, which Justice Secretary Jack Straw visited today. Youth House, which works with marginalised and disengaged young people in the area, was nominated by the local community for Community Payback, a scheme that provides the opportunity for local people to have their say on how offenders should make amends. The project was the largest single initiative undertaken by the Community Payback team in Newham, and between December 2007 and November 2008, an average of 5,830 hours of work was completed each weekend by 50 offenders, with a value of £35,155 to Youth House.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw has also launched a prototype of the first justice website to give local sentencing information in one place to ensure people have the chance to see how justice is being effected in their communities.
The Green Paper builds on the Government's commitment to ensure that justice is not only done, but seen to be done, and follows the recent launch of a campaign to give people more say in how offenders pay back in their communities - including the chance to vote on which local projects they would like Community Payback teams to complete as part of their community sentence. This comes alongside the recent appointment of Victims Champion Sara Payne and the launch of crime maps.
The 30 pioneer areas will pilot a package of measures, including:
* The introduction of Community Prosecutors with a specific role to engage with communities alongside the police, courts and others and ensure that local priorities inform casework decision making and local CPS priorities;
* Community Impact Statements which will give communities the chance to feed in their views on crimes in their area and the impact they have on local people. The statements, which are normally collated by the police, will be used by all facets of the criminal justice system such prosecution, probation and courts
* Extending the use of Citizens' Panels to give local people more say in how offenders on Community Payback schemes repay the community for their crimes through tough projects
* Establishing "Virtual Community Justice Teams" to apply a more intensive problem-solving approach to anti-social and criminal behaviour. This will tackle re-offending by identifying and offering tailored rehabilitation, such as drug assistance programmes.
Over and above this, the Government will be consulting on a number of other key initiatives. These include:
* Establishing a new Adult Restorative Justice Strategy. Restorative Justice has been used effectively by police to confront young offenders with the consequences of their actions, ensure they are able to make amends to their victims and help them to develop a sense of personal responsibility. The initiative has delivered excellent time and costs savings to the police and court system.
* Adopting Commuinity Justice problem-solving techniques in all magistrates' courts. This seeks to address issues at the root of certain types of offending - such as drug abuse - and so tackle the cycle of re-offending by giving magistrates the tools and techniques needed to put in place a specialist approach to rehabilitating such offenders;
* Involving communities more fully in the selection and deployment of District Judges (Magistrates Courts) by working with the Judicial Appointments Commission to lift the veil on how judges are selected and provide more transparency to the public. We also plan to increase the representation of magistrates from a wider range of backgrounds by working with employers and looking at the ways to make it easier for people in full time employment to be magistrates;
* Creating a system of "hallmarks" for magistrates' courts entitled "Justice in the Community" - Re-positioning magistrates' courts to reinforce their purpose in delivering justice for and within local communities.
* Increasing volunteering in Criminal Justice Services through increased promotion of opportunities through the Local Criminal Justice Boards.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said:
"I want people to have full confidence in the justice system. An important part of this is ensuring that justice is done and seen to be done.
"The chance of becoming a victim of crime is the lowest in 25 years; the challenge now is to increase public confidence.
"The package we are announcing today represents a fundamental shift towards giving communities more of a say in the justice system.
"We have already made major improvements in this area. Today's announcement is the next stage. People must have more influence in how justice is delivered in their villages, towns and cities - and that is exactly what today's Green Paper sets out to achieve."
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"The public are our best weapon in fighting crime. That is why we want to make sure people have their views heard and that they are kept updated on what has and is being done by the criminal justice system. The recent Policing Green Paper, the Casey Review and the Policing Pledge are all about giving the police the freedom to do their job and giving the public more say on crime in their neighbourhoods.
"If people understand and trust the criminal justice system and see it as a public service, they will be able to get on with their lives without fear of crime, secure in the knowledge that there are tough consequences for those who break the rules. This document provides an opportunity for the people to have a say on a crucial system which has their needs at its heart."
The Attorney General, Baroness Scotland QC, superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is responsible for deciding the charge and taking to court the majority of criminal cases in England and Wales.
Baroness Scotland said:
"Prosecutors are increasingly engaged with the people they serve, routinely engaging with victims and witnesses in person, and explaining decisions to communities and the wider public.
"The community prosecutor approach will enable the CPS to be more visible to, and better understood by, their local communities. Community prosecutors will enhance our ability to respond to local needs and circumstances, with local prosecution teams informed about matters of local concern, understanding the communities they serve and building strong links with people from surrounding neighbourhoods."
Jack Straw added:
"This is a real opportunity for people to have a say - to make their voice heard on such a vital issue for them and for their community. I urge them to take this opportunity."
Responses can be made online, via email or by post. Details of how to respond as well as a summary of the Green Paper, and a link to the full Green Paper document can be found online. The consultation will run until Friday 31 July 2009.
Online consultation tool is available at: http://consultations.cjsonline.gov.uk/?conid=1
email: EngagingCommunities@cjs.gsi.gov.uk
Postal responses to:
Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice Consultation Responses
Race, Confidence & Justice Unit
Office for Criminal Justice Reform
Ground Floor (NW) Fry Building
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF 
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