Policy Hub
On 14 January 2010, the House of Commons Justice Committee published a report which seeks to evaluate the current direction of policy and spending on the criminal justice system, in particular assessing whether the enormous sums being spent could be allocated more coherently and effectively.
The report identifies the challenges facing the criminal justice system in England and Wales and concludes that the present rate of growth within the system is unsustainable, especially the strain on the prison system.
‘Justice reinvestment’ is a term that describes a variety of approaches to criminal justice policy reform developed in the USA over the last 10 years. Essentially, it refers to the proposition that it is far better—and probably much cheaper—to focus resources on preventing criminality than solely on catching, convicting and incarcerating criminals.
The report attempts to evaluate whether the principles of justice reinvestment can be applied in England and Wales. It also considers what benefits (and potential pitfalls) there are in developing a more rationally-determined policy for criminal justice, not least in preventing further burdens falling on the public purse and the taxpayer.