The LGiU teamed up with BT and Alan Duncan MP, Shadow Prisons Minister, yesterday for an event to discuss reforming the criminal justice system. For the LGiU it was an opportunity to continue to develop support for localism. We found again that we are pushing at an open door, so why the slow progress? We argue that the system needs connecting up locally to prevent offending in the first place, and then to effectively deal with people in the system to get their lives back on track, reduce re-offending, and create greater transparency and a sense of justice for victims and communities. At the moment the system is largely disconnected not only from communities – think of how prisons exist as islands, quite seperate from people and places in which they are located – but also from organisations within the system and, crucially from councils. Our Primary Justice proposal has attracted widespread interest and politicans from all parties have given it a good look and say they find it persuasive. What we need now is a major Bill in the first session of the next parliament.
