The final Levelling Up Commission session focused on crime justice and rehabilitation. It was hosted by the Commission’s Chair, Paula Sherriff – former MP and shadow secretary for Mental and Social Care.
The session was split in half with part one focusing on prevention and community building. For this part, Paula was joined by three individuals who work closely with criminals to discuss how the criminal justice system could be changed to promote prevention and to reduce the sheer volume of people entering the system.
The three panellists for this session were:
- Tom McNeil – Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner in the West Midlands.
- Riana Taylor – CEO of Circles UK.
- Dr. Theo Gavrielides – CEO of Restorative Justice for all.
Re-shaping the role of the police
Tom McNeil was the first panellist to offer his thoughts on crime prevention in the United Kingdom. As an Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner, McNeil works very closely with police forces in the West Midlands and believes that the time has come to change how forces are assessed. He said:
“Part of my job is to invest in innovative ways of supporting communities and to prevent crime. We have used this position to make sure we’re in forums that aren’t always taken advantage of by the police such as the NHS’ Family Family Drug and Alcohol Courts National Advisory Board.”
“We think there needs to be a mandated emphasis on policing to take community rehabilitation seriously. When you have, for example, a project that diverts people who are arrested for being in possession of drugs, it has to be something that is implemented across the board.
“It can’t be something that just dies away at the whims of a Chief Constable or something is merely considered as ‘nice to have’. Instead, it should be something that is used to help measure whether a police force is doing a good job or not.”
McNeil also spoke about several examples of best practices in the West Midlands related to crime prevention. There is one for vulnerable women who, instead of being sent to prison, are diverted to a women-led support service. Another involves diverting those found in possession of drugs to a support centre for education rather than giving them a criminal record.
While McNeil advocates for these programmes, he says there have been stumbling blocks. Explaining, he said:
“There are few problems with these services. One is that it is a complete postcode lottery. Two is that some police officers know about it and some don’t. And finally, there is evidence of institutional racism in terms of who gets referred and who doesn’t.
“There is a cultural barrier in that not everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. There needs to be a change in how police forces are assessed. It should be treated as a major pillar of whether a police force is good or not.”
A need for longer-term initiatives
Rianna Taylor, the CEO of Circles UK was the next to speak. Circles UK oversee the “Circles of Support and Accountability” programme which offers help and education to people with convictions of sexual offences.
Taylor believes the root cause of failing crime prevention is due to short-term initiatives that “don’t go anywhere”. She said:
“As a country, we are notoriously bad at prevention and we are incredibly reactive. Our European partners are much better in comparison – when I see how much better they are with long-term prevention programmes, I realise that we have a lot to learn.
“One thing I would recommend is to stop rolling out very short-term initiatives that only last two to three years. We should have crime prevention strategies that last 20-25 years to really crack the issue of crime.
“People who commit offences have a long history of adverse childhood experiences – many of them come from significant trauma. There is no quick fix and these short-term programmes never really go anywhere. You’re not going to sort the problem out that way.”
Taylor also believes there needs to be a shift in public attitude towards crime. Instead of being seen as unlawful, it should be viewed as a public health issue. She said:
“I would advocate for crime to be seen much more as a public health issue, linked to the trauma that so many offenders have faced in their lives. There are people in prison who shouldn’t be there and by shifting certain crimes to a public health issue we can remove the stigma around crime.
“You could reduce the number of people in UK prisons by 20% without causing any harm to any of our communities. There is of course a place for prison and punishment but we need to be smarter with who we put there. Communities should see it as a health issue that needs to be treated rather than punished.”
The ethos of restorative justice
The final speaker was Dr. Thor Gavrielides, the CEO of Restorative Justice for All. Gavrielides spoke passionately about the notion of restorative justice and how it links to what he calls “power abuse” in communities. He said:
“I want to push the commission and take things to a new level with restorative justice. For me, restorative justice is an ethos and a holistic approach to addressing community tensions and anti-social behaviour, but above all, the silent driver to end inequalities and power abuse.
“You can’t truly empower citizens and achieve levelling up if you don’t address the power abuse we currently experience. We talk about what we need to change within institutions, in terms of barriers and cultures, but what we haven’t tried to do is to truly empower communities instead.
“When you get communities together under the ethos that restorative justice is an equality solution, then you can start to build consensus and dialogue between communities and local powers, such as the government and the police.
“I agree that certain things need to be mandated – the law has a place, and punishment has a place However, there also has to be an empowerment of local communities. You can’t change just the system, you also have to involve those who the system is meant to serve.”
Final thought
The panel session was fascinating in that it highlighted the need for a shift in focus towards long-term initiatives, community empowerment, and restorative justice when it comes to crime prevention in the United Kingdom. T
Each panellist’s passion and expertise demonstrated that there are solutions to the complex issues surrounding crime and justice and that by working together and embracing a more holistic approach, we can create a safer and more equitable society.
Watch the full video here: