Planned reform to the criminal justice system as called for by Prime Minister Tony Blair has been met with doubt.
Speaking at a conference on public service delivery, Mr Blair said that new effective prevention measures would target the 100,000 criminals who, he said, commit half of all crime. <br><br>Under the plans, judges would be allowed to issue a prolific offender licence to limit what an offender can do, once released from prison. If broken, the offender could be arrested pending a court hearing where a judge would be able to give punishments up to three years in jail.<br><br>What PM says<br><br>"These measures are the best way to tackle the hard core of criminals," Tony Blair said. "These people have serious problems and targeting the offender means taking those problems seriously. And we have proof that it works." Other measures include ways to reduce red tape and give the police more control over their budgets.<br><br>The proposals form part of the Government’s ongoing policy review: Building on progress: Security, crime and justice, is the second to be published so far. You can download it from the Number 10 website (link below) <br><br>According to the 105-page document, CCTV is a detection technology of the last decade, while the ‘approach going forward’ is to ‘increase detection through sophisticated new technologies (including making greater use of identity data and DNA), while ensuring public support through stronger safeguards to protect citizens’. And elsewhere the paper makes a general call for more use of technology, such as biometric data. As for policing, the paper argues that it should be more visible and locally accountable.
The document claims that 1997 saw a new approach in criminal justice, and that since there has been a decline in anti-social behaviour and falls in fear or crime and crime itself.
As for powers, ASBOs and fixed penalty notices are similarly described as approaches of the last decade, but suggested for the next decade are yet more (unspecified) powers to act against everything from anti-social behaviour to serious and organised crime. The document does deal only in broad policy recommendations rather than details for instance saying that the policy review seeks to ensure that the Government remains tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime – Tony Blair’s famous phrase while in Opposition before 1997. <br><br>According to the document, a ‘significant perception gap exists, with two-thirds of citizens believing that crime has been rising, despite significant falls’. It adds that ‘the UK spends a higher proportion of GDP on security and tackling crime than most other EU countries. The question is how to use that investment.'<br><br>The document does call for more private sector involvement in the criminal justice system, such as management of offenders and in courts. <br><br>The British Retail Consortium (BRC) welcomed the Prime Minister’s sentiments on crime and justice, outlined in the policy review . Responding to “Building on progress: Security, crime and justice”, the BRC said the review had the right tone but, with the Government’s track record on crime, the retailers’ organisation questioned whether the plans would actually deliver anything.<br><br>What they say<br>&#160;<br>British Retail Consortium Director General Kevin Hawkins said: “The sentiment of this review is right. The Prime Minister is correct; there has been too little emphasis on victims and persistent criminals in the past. Retailers have long called for a clampdown on repeat offenders. Police forces should not give up on organised criminals just because their activities cross force boundaries making them difficult to pursue.<br>&#160;<br>“Shop staff are subjected to daily abuse and violence; of course they should have a higher priority. <br>&#160;<br>“Retailers are very concerned that fixed penalty notices for shoplifting are being applied much more widely than originally intended, further downgrading the seriousness of retail crime.&#160; This needs to be addressed so the review is right that the effectiveness of non-custodial sentences should be improved. But, for the most serious repeat offenders, there must still be the option of significant jail terms.<br>&#160;<br>&#160;<br>“Businesses are hugely committed to beating crime. Retailers alone are spending over &#163;700 million a year on preventing and tackling crime. They are keen to work more closely with Government nationally and police locally.&#160; <br>&#160;<br>“But, given that far from making the ‘Progress’ of this review’s&#160; title, shop lifting has risen by 70 per cent since 2000, we will take some convincing that these recommendations will actually achieve their aims.” <br>
