Recommendation | Lead Responsibility | Timescales |
1. The police and public sector agencies should give consideration to the establishment of formal information sharing protocols / arrangements for the exchange of relevant information to better secure the execution of warrants, including routine warrants. | Police | Consideration by Dec 2004. Protocols/arrangements in place by end 2005. |
2. The Scottish Executive should consider with relevant Whitehall Departments the legislative changes needed to enable criminal justice and public sector agencies to share information to better secure the execution of warrants, including routine warrants. | Scottish Executive | Relevant Departments/agencies identified by Nov 2004. Legislative changes identified by mid 2005. Legislation in Scottish /UK Parliament when opportunity arises |
3. Forces should consider the formation of short term Warrant Teams and the appointment of dedicated Warrant Liaison Officers. | Police | To report outcome of consideration by Dec 2004 |
4. HMIC to continue to routinely look at force procedures in relation to the execution of warrants as part of primary inspections. | HMIC | Ongoing, as part of primary inspections |
5. In the short term, ACPOS General Policing Committee should examine how forces currently execute warrants to identify and promulgate notable practices and experience. | ACPOS | By Dec 2004 |
6 - That a working group is convened to develop the protocol and Service Level Agreements to ensure fast, accurate and workable practices in relation to the whole process of warrants execution. | COPFS, SCS, Police, Scottish Executive. | Group convened by Dec 2004. Revised Protocol and agreements in place by end 2005 |
7. Proven approaches to joint working should be expanded as appropriate in local liaison. | Police and COPFS | Ongoing |
8. The Scottish Executive should consider increasing the tariff attaching to section 150 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 to a maximum of 12 months. | Scottish Executive | Consideration by Dec 2004. Any legislation in parallel with McInnes. |
9. The SPS, with the Service Provider, should consider ways in which the systems for monitoring prisoners could be improved. | Scottish Prison Service to pursue with the Service Provider | Ongoing, continuous improvement |
10. The Scottish Executive should, depending on the outcome of the pilots, consider extending the availability of electronic monitoring for bail. | Scottish Executive | Dependent on outcome of pilots |
11. Outstanding warrants should be a standing item for consideration by Local Criminal Justice Boards. | Local Criminal Justice Boards | Boards to consider as soon as possible, with view to implementation by mid 2005 if agreed |
12. In pursuance of recommendation 11, the National Criminal Justice Board should consider the development of appropriate measures of organisational performance covering the warrants process. | National Criminal Justice Board | Boards to consider as soon as possible, with view to implementation by mid 2005 if agreed |
13 - (a) The SPS should pursue with the Service Provider a review of the PER form, reflecting the views and needs of partner agencies, as required by the contract; and (b) all parties should ensure that procedures for production and updating of the PER are agreed, documented and clearly understood. | Scottish Prison Service and the Service Provider | By Dec 2004 |
14. The police should ensure that police and PF reference numbers should appear routinely on the PER or on any future prisoner escort document. | Police, COPFS, Scottish Prison Service, and Service Provider. | By Dec 2004 |
15. The SPS to pursue with the Service Provider the development and maintenance of procedures to ensure that the PER or any future prisoner related paper based data accompanies the prisoner at all times. | Scottish Prison Service to pursue with the Service Provider. | Procedures to be in place by Dec 2004. |
16. The SPS to pursue with the Service Provider the identification and training of a cohort of staff to undertake a "Gatekeeper" role, akin to the Duty Officer/police sergeant that existed prior to the contract roll out. Such an officer's roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined and that it is made explicit that they are not diverted from regular prisoner escort duties or ancillary tasks. | Scottish Prison Service to pursue with the Service Provider | Identified "Gatekeeper" in each court by Nov 2004 |
17. The SPS to pursue with the Service Provider consideration of the establishment of on call out of hours advice. | Service Provider | By Dec 2004 |
18. The SPS to pursue with the Service Provider consideration of the establishment of formal out of hours lines of communication, where appropriate, with District Court Clerks so that information about the continued detention of prisoners subject to e.g. extract warrants of committal are able to be conveyed in a timely, detailed and explicit manner. | Service Provider | By December 2005 |
19. The ISCJIS Programme Board should examine the possibility of the existing computer system trawling its data base upon the sentence of imprisonment to identify if any outstanding warrants exist for that accused and sending an electronic intimation to the Procurator's Fiscal Office holding such warrant. | ISCJIS Programme Board | Board to examine by Spring 2005. If agreed, process to be in place by end 2005. |
20. A working group should be established under the direction of the ISCJIS Programme Board to consider how best to facilitate the electronic transfer of all types of warrants. | ISCJIS Programme Board | By Spring 2005. |