Corston Coalition » policy http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk Corston Independent Funders' Coalition Tue, 15 May 2012 12:59:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Response to Breaking the Cycle http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/response-to-breaking-the-cycle http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/response-to-breaking-the-cycle#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:32:14 +0000 Antonia Bance http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/?p=569 Consultation front pageThe Ministry of Justice recently published a set of proposals on rehabilitation and sentencing, called Breaking the Cycle. The dedicated consultation webpage for the proposals is here. The Corston Coalition have responded to this Green Paper. Our full response is here. In summary, we believe that the proposals in the Green Paper need to be brought together in a clear action plan for women offenders. This action plan should include: A recommitment to the principle that community penalties should be the norm for women offenders Guaranteed visible senior leadership for the ...]]> Consultation front pageThe Ministry of Justice recently published a set of proposals on rehabilitation and sentencing, called Breaking the Cycle. The dedicated consultation webpage for the proposals is here.

The Corston Coalition have responded to this Green Paper. Our full response is here.

In summary, we believe that the proposals in the Green Paper need to be brought together in a clear action plan for women offenders. This action plan should include:

    A recommitment to the principle that community penalties should be the norm for women offenders
    Guaranteed visible senior leadership for the programme, supported by dedicated women’s operational team and local champions for women offenders. This senior leadership role or mechanism should be accountable for the transformation of justice for women and should lead cross-governmental efforts to reduce women’s offending and ensure the needs of women with multiple needs and chaotic lives are met
    A timetable to reduce the capacity of the women’s prison estate, and to re-direct this funding into provision for women offenders in the community
    A commitment to ensuring that all payment by results commissioned contracts for the delivery of community sentences, resettlement of short-sentenced prisoners and drug rehabilitation will specify women-specific outcomes and will require a women-specific work stream. This should build on the knowledge gained from the women’s community projects programme funded by the Ministry of Justice since 2009.
    National work plans to improve support for women in the criminal justice system who have experienced domestic or sexual violence or who have been involved in prostitution
    A commitment to ensuring that all mental health liaison and diversion services have specialist services for women, building on the best practice in the sector

We also believe that, in pursuit of the public service reform objectives which are part of the Big Society, the Government should develop payment by results commissioning that explicitly facilitates the engagement of the voluntary and community sector, including small and specialist charities. We recommend the creation of specific support programmes to enable charities to compete for commissioned contracts, and for further attention to be paid to financing models for charitable providers.

]]> http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/response-to-breaking-the-cycle/feed 0 New Prisons Minister commits government to Corston http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/new-prisons-minister-commits-government-to-corston http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/new-prisons-minister-commits-government-to-corston#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:29:29 +0000 Antonia Bance http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/?p=492 Mother and baby group at HMP Askham Grange The Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition is very pleased to note the new government’s commitment to the Corston report’s recommendations. Asked in Parliament on 20th July 2010 about the effectiveness of short prison sentences for women offenders, the new Prisons Minister, Crispin Blunt, replied: Short sentences for men have proved pretty ineffective, and I think that short sentences for women are even more ineffective and deleterious. We support the conclusions of the Corston report, we are conducting an analysis of the effectiveness of different sentences as part of the current sentencing ...]]> Mother and baby group at HMP Askham Grange

The Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition is very pleased to note the new government’s commitment to the Corston report’s recommendations. Asked in Parliament on 20th July 2010 about the effectiveness of short prison sentences for women offenders, the new Prisons Minister, Crispin Blunt, replied:

Short sentences for men have proved pretty ineffective, and I think that short sentences for women are even more ineffective and deleterious. We support the conclusions of the Corston report, we are conducting an analysis of the effectiveness of different sentences as part of the current sentencing review, we are committed to reducing the number of women in prison, and a network of women-only community provision is being developed to support robust community sentences.

]]> http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/new-prisons-minister-commits-government-to-corston/feed 0 After the election: where now? http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/after-the-election-where-now http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/after-the-election-where-now#comments Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:57:51 +0000 Antonia Bance http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/?p=460 The Corston Coalition recently held a morning seminar for an invited audience of charities, funders, civil servants and academics. The mornig’s introductory speech was given by Richard Garside, the director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. Richard has helpfully posted what he said on his blog. ]]> The Corston Coalition recently held a morning seminar for an invited audience of charities, funders, civil servants and academics. The mornig’s introductory speech was given by Richard Garside, the director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. Richard has helpfully posted what he said on his blog.

]]> http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/after-the-election-where-now/feed 0 How would women prisoners vote, if they could? http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/how-would-women-prisoners-vote-if-they-could http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/how-would-women-prisoners-vote-if-they-could#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 10:09:14 +0000 Antonia Bance http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/?p=417 Polling StationHere is a fascinating short piece from Nacro about a discussion between women prisoners about the election. Photo: secretlondon123 2009 ]]> Polling StationHere is a fascinating short piece from Nacro about a discussion between women prisoners about the election.

Photo: secretlondon123 2009

]]> http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/how-would-women-prisoners-vote-if-they-could/feed 0 Invest in “not prison” http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/invest-in-not-prison http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/invest-in-not-prison#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:28:24 +0000 Antonia Bance http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/?p=361 United Kingdom - Prison - HMP DownviewLaunching her annual report, the Chief Inspector of Prisons says in the Guardian: “Investing in prisons is not enough; we need to invest in ‘not prison’. I said it eight years ago when I became chief inspector, and it remains true. We need, as the all-party Justice Committee said recently, to “shift resources away from incarceration towards rehabilitation and prevention”. ]]> United Kingdom - Prison - HMP DownviewLaunching her annual report, the Chief Inspector of Prisons says in the Guardian:
“Investing in prisons is not enough; we need to invest in ‘not prison’. I said it eight years ago when I became chief inspector, and it remains true. We need, as the all-party Justice Committee said recently, to “shift resources away from incarceration towards rehabilitation and prevention”.

]]> http://www.corstoncoalition.org.uk/invest-in-not-prison/feed 0