Victims of crime are being denied justice as police, courts and prisons operate at ‘unacceptable’ levels after Covid
- Crime victims denied justice as policing and prisons at ‘unacceptable’ levels
- Criminal justice system suffering from an ‘artificially suppressed’ level of activity
- A Criminal Justice Joint Inspection said the system is a ‘long way from recovery’
Victims of crime are being denied justice because some areas of policing, the courts and prisons are operating at ‘unacceptable’ levels, watchdogs warn today.
The criminal justice system is still suffering an ‘artificially suppressed’ level of activity after Covid, an official study found.
The Criminal Justice Joint Inspection warned the system remains a ‘long way from recovery’.
M Prison Styal is a Closed Category prison for female adults and young offenders, located in the village of Styal
Victims of crime are being denied justice because some areas of policing, the courts and prisons are operating at ‘unacceptable’ levels, watchdogs warn today. Pictured: HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
At the end of last year a quarter of prosecutions had been waiting for a year or more to come to court, official figures have shown.
The number of cases waiting longer than a year has increased by more than 340 per cent since March 2020.
‘Such unacceptable delays have an adverse impact on victims and defendants, and have a knock-on effect on other criminal justice agencies,’ the inspectors said.
‘The system is getting by because of an artificially suppressed level of activity and reduced performance management and quality expectations – which cannot go on.’
The report is published today by the inspectorates of probation, policing, the Crown Prosecution Service and prisons.
Advertisement