Chapter 22: The Criminal Justice System
Aim
Reduce crime and the fear of crime and their social and economic costs and dispense justice fairly and efficiently and to promote confidence in the rule of law.
Objectives and performance targets
Objective I: reduce crime and the fear of crime.
1. Reduce crime and the fear of crime; improve performance overall, including by reducing the gap between the highest crime Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership areas and the best comparable areas; and reduce:
- vehicle crime by 30% from 1998-99 to 2004;
- domestic burglary by 25% from 1998-99 to 2005;
- robbery in the ten Street Crime Initiative areas by 14% from 1999-2000 to 2005;
- maintain that level.
Objective II: ensure the effective delivery of justice.
2. Improve the delivery of justice by increasing the number of crimes for which an offender is brought to justice to 1.2 million by 2005-06; with an improvement in all CJS areas, a greater increase in the worse performing areas and a reduction in the proportion of ineffective trials.
3. Improve the level of public confidence in the Criminal Justice System, including increasing that of ethnic minority communities, and increasing year on year the satisfaction of victims and witnesses, whilst respecting the rights of defendants.
Objective III: deliver effective custodial and community sentences to reduce re-offending and protect the public.
4. Protect the public and reduce re-offending by 5%:
- for young offenders;
- for both adults sentenced to imprisonment and adults sentenced to community sentences; and.
- maintain the current low rate of prisoner escapes, including Category A escapes.
Value for money
5. Increase value for money from the Criminal Justice System by 3% a year.
Who is responsible for delivery?
The Home Secretary, Lord Chancellor and Attorney General are jointly responsible for the commitments related to the overall performance of the CJS as set out in this PSA.