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CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OBJECTIVES REVIEW
PROPOSALS FOR THE INTEGRATION OF AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS IN THE SCOTTISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
VOLUME II - ANNEX D : EXTRACTS FROM BUILDING A BETTER SCOTLAND
Five Priorities for Action:
- health, education, crime, transport and jobs
(Paragraph 3)
Summary of Key Outcomes for Crime:
Aims - To create a safer and fairer Scotland
Objectives - To reduce crime, especially violent crime
Measured by -
- Reductions in violent crime
- Reductions in the number of persistent young offenders
- Reductions in fear of crime, or seriousness of worry about crime
(Paragraph 6)
Our Priorities for Action - Crime:
Our aim is to make Scotland a safer and fairer place. Crime and the fear of crime impact heavily on us all, but particularly on the disadvantaged and vulnerable in our communities. If we are to build stronger, more confident communities, then we must make them safer and make them feel safer. That means tackling violence - especially drug-related offences - swiftly and effectively, making our streets safer. Our Ten-Point Action Plan to reduce youth crime will explore the potential for fast-track children's hearings for young persistent offenders, develop proposals for increasing the involvement of parents in preventing their child's offending and will identify the potential for a youth court for persistent and serious young offenders.
Two years ago, we made a commitment to increase police officer numbers to record levels by 2002. We delivered on that commitment and our aim is to maintain frontline officer numbers at present levels. Within that total, we will continue to increase the numbers of police officers dedicated to working on drugs trafficking. We will also continue with our agenda to modernise the police service by, for example, encouraging Best Value and securing greater efficiency in common police services. The recently negotiated pay and conditions package for federated ranks (those from constables to chief inspectors) will also play an important part in the reform process.
Making Scotland safer means faster prosecutions and more support for the victims of crime. But it also means working with offenders, particularly the young, to reduce re-offending, and tackling the links between deprivation, drug misuse and crime.
(Paragraphs 15-17)
Improving Public Services Objectives and Targets for Crime:
Objectives -
- To maintain front line police numbers
- To improve public confidence in the justice system
- To reduce offending
Measured by -
- Increasing seizures in class A drugs
- Enforcing the law on drugs, and tackling the drugs/crime link
- Providing 6300 prisoner places
- Increasing the number of prison programmes and approved activities by 40%
- Increasing availability of community disposals
- Sustaining improvements in court case times
- Increasing availability of support for victims
(Paragraph 26)
Closing the Opportunity Gap Objectives for Crime:
To reduce crime, particularly violent and drug related crime and housebreaking, which disproportionately affects disadvantaged areas.
(Paragraph 27)
JUSTICE
To create a safer and fairer Scotland
Objectives and Targets
OBJECTIVE 1
To make Scotland a place where people are safer, and feel safer
Target 1 Further reduction in serious violent crime. The Scottish Police Service agreed a target in March 2002 to reduce serious violent crime by 5% by 2004. A new target involving a further reduction will be agreed for 2006.
Target 2 Increase seizures of Class A drugs. The Scottish Police Service already has a target to increase such seizures by 25% by 2004. A new target will be agreed for 2006.
Target 3 Reduce fear of crime, or seriousness of worry about crime. Measures will be contained in the next Scottish Crime Survey due in 2004.
OBJECTIVE 2
To have a fair and more efficient justice system that commands the confidence of its customers and the public
Target 4 85% of summary cases completed in 20 weeks of first calling in the Sheriff Court by 2005-06.
Target 5 Increase the percentage of those victims who want support having been offered or successfully sought that support by 12% by 2006.
OBJECTIVE 3
To reduce offending and provide more and more effective non-custodial penalties
Target 6 Provide 6300 prisoner places by 2005-06.
Target 7 Increase the number of prison rehabilitation programmes and approved activities by 40% to 1500 by 2005-06.
Target 8 Provide capacity for 17000 community disposals by 2005-06, focusing on priority groups such as women, young people and drug users.
Target 9 Accreditation Panel in place by 2003 to improve quality of community programmes with at least three offending programmes developed for accreditation by 2004-05.
CROWN OFFICE AND PROCURATOR FISCAL SERVICE
To provide an independent, modern prosecution service which is committed to professional excellence, pursues cases fairly and consistently in the public interest and is responsive to the public's needs.
Objectives and Targets
OBJECTIVE 1
To improve the delivery of justice by timely, efficient and effective investigation and prosecution of crime
Target 1 To agree by December 2002, targets covering the progress of cases through the criminal justice system.
Target 2 To take action in 75% of crime reports within six weeks by 31 March 2005 and within five weeks by 31 March 2006.
OBJECTIVE 2
To secure public confidence, including that of ethnic minorities, in the prosecution system
Target 3 To conduct a public survey to monitor trends in public confidence in the prosecution service, commencing in 2003-2004, with improvement targets to be implemented by 31 March 2004.
Target 4 The new Inspectorate to conduct an independent review and report on the prosecution of racial crime to be published by 31 December 2005 and recommendations to be implemented during the following Spending Review period.
OBJECTIVE 3
To give priority to the prosecution of serious crime, including drugs trafficking and persistent offenders
Target 5 To implement recommendations of Quality and Practice Review Unit review of High Court prosecution relating to investigation and preparation of High Court cases by 31 March 2005 and implement fully those relating to the management of High Court cases at Court, which will be relevant to the review by Lord Bonomy, in the next Spending Review period.
Target 6 To service indictments in 80% of Sheriff and Jury cases that involve bail within nine months of first appearance on petition by 31 March 2005.
OBJECTIVE 4
To provide services which meet the information needs of victims, witnesses and next of kin, in co-operation with other agencies
Target 7 To communicate court bail decisions within 24 hours to 90% of victims in cases in which the accused has appeared from custody.
Target 8 To develop a customer service satisfaction survey for the Victim Information and Advice Service by 31 March 2004 and achieve 85% satisfaction levels amongst those surveyed by 31 March 2005.
OBJECTIVE 6
To provide thorough, timely, and independent investigation of complaints of criminal conduct by police officers
Target 10 (a) to complete investigation of complaints of criminal conduct by police officers and advise complainer of outcome within 10 weeks of report to Procurator Fiscal in 60% of cases and within 12 weeks in 90% of cases by 31 March 2006; and
(b) to achieve a 100% approval level of the quality of investigation and decision making in a random selection of complaints against the police cases examined annually by the Inspectorate by 31 March 2006.
(Objective 5 and Target 9 relate to deaths investigation)
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