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    <title>Nacro News</title>
    <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/</link>
    <copyright>(c)Nacro</copyright>
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    <lastBuildDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:01:31 BST</lastBuildDate>
    <description>Nacro News</description>
    <item>
      <title>Nacro's 20th annual youth crime conference</title>
      <description><![CDATA[!{style=color:#E0225E}Youth Justice: Targeting Interventions Effectively

20-22 April 2010 | University of Nottingham

Effective targeting of interventions to those who need them most, and tailoring them to meet individual needs, is at the heart of the Government's youth justice strategy outlined in the Youth Crime Action Plan. It underlies the commitment to deliver targeted youth support, and provides the rationale for the introduction of the Youth Justice Board's scaled approach and the youth rehabilitation order. 

Getting it right is key to diverting children away from crime, reducing reoffending and maximising young people's future potential. In a period of economic restraint, effective targeting is also vital to ensure that service provision is delivered in a way that makes the best use of available resources.

Nacro’s Annual Youth Crime Conference is a key event on the youth justice calendar and attracts up to 300 delegates across 2 and a half days. Complemented by a wide range of interactive workshops and seminars, the conference provides an opportunity to critically examine key issues at a challenging time of significant change and development

Confirmed plenary and seminar speakers include: 

*Tam Baillie* Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People
*Tim Bateman* Senior Youth Crime Policy Development Officer, Nacro
*Dr Stephen Case* Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Swansea University
*Alice Chapman* Director Of Youth Conference Service, Youth Justice Agency, Northern Ireland
*John Drew* Chief Executive, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales 
*Julie Fox* Assistant Chief Inspector for the Inspection of Youth Offending, HM Inspectorate of Probation
*Dr Di Hart* Principal Officer - Youth Justice and Welfare, National Children's Bureau
*Michelle Hill* Area Manager, Greater Manchester, Nacro
*Mark Johnson* Author of Wasted and members from User Voice
*Lorraine Khan* Senior Development Worker, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
*Robbyn Linden* Operational Lead for Triage and YJLD, Lewisham YOT
*Jane Mackenzie* England Policy Officer, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
*Paul McDowell* Chief Executive, Nacro
*Dr Ian Millward* Principal Educational Psychologist, London Borough of Newham
*Rod Morgan* Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Bristol 
*Paul O'Hara* YOT Manager, Bradford YOT 
*Bob Reitemeier* Chief Executive, The Children's Society
*Enver Solomon* Assistant Director of Policy, Barnardos
*Charlie Spencer* YOS Manager. Sandwell YOT 
*Malcolm Stevens* Director, JusticeCare Solutions
*Philippa Stroud* Executive Director, The Centre for Social Justice

!!! How to book

To download a copy of the conference flyer and booking form, [LINK:587|CAPTION:click here]. 

If you would like to book your place online, please visit [LINK:69|CAPTION:www.regonline.com/youthcrime ]

Invoices can be issued for online bookings

Bookings can be faxed back to us on 020 8181 6662

Alternatively, to book a place by phone/email or for any other queries regarding the event, please call Caroline Fuller on 07974 406673 or email [LINK:449]]]></description>
      <img:url>http://www.nacro.org.uk/data/images/width210/img-1579-5-0-213.jpg</img:url>
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      <img:size></img:size>
      <img:copyright><![CDATA[]]></img:copyright>
      <img:credits><![CDATA[Service users and Nacro staff member on a construction project in Gillingham.
Consent:?
Annual Review 2008-09
Photographer: Philip Meech]]></img:credits>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/criminal-justice-expertise/conferences/past-conferences/nacros-20th-annual-youth-crime-conference,105,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:13:29 BST</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.nacro.org.uk/criminal-justice-expertise/conferences/past-conferences/nacros-20th-annual-youth-crime-conference,105,NAP.html</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Tuesday 20 July 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance

[LINK:1007|CAPTION:Inside the Parole Board: how freedom is granted or denied for prisoners ] | Guardian

[LINK:1008|CAPTION:Churchill’s case for penal reform ] | Times

[LINK:1009|CAPTION:Bar chairman backs calls to reconsider drug laws ] | Independent

[LINK:1010|CAPTION:No prisons for asylum-seekers ] | Independent

[LINK:1011|CAPTION:Just one in ten police free to fight crime ] | Telegraph 

{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily summary


[LINK:1007|CAPTION:Inside the Parole Board: how freedom is granted or denied for prisoners ] | Guardian


In a criminal justice special, the Guardian reports on the workings of the parole board after receiving unprecedented access to the often publicly criticised, but little understood independent body.

[LINK:1008|CAPTION:Churchill’s case for penal reform ] | Times

A letter to the editor of the Times marks the centenary of the greatest case made for penal reform by Winston Churchill, then the Home Secretary, to the House of Commons, from which followed an impetus for sentencing reforms and a reduction in prison population.

Jonathan Aitken, Professor Davis Downes, Professor Ian Loader, Professor Rod Morgan and David Ramsbotham say it is time to restore the humanity and concerns that animated Churchill’s penal reform philosophy a century ago and want to see Ken Clarkes signals become a reality.

[LINK:1009|CAPTION:Bar chairman backs calls to reconsider drug laws ] | Independent

One of Britain's most senior lawyers has delivered a dramatic boost to the campaign to change the law on drugs. 

Nicholas Green QC, chairman of the UK Bar Council, has come closer than any previous incumbent of the post to calling for the decriminalisation of personal use of drugs including heroin, cocaine and cannabis.

In his chairman's report to the Bar Council last month, Mr Green wrote: ‘Another political hot potato is drugs. Drug-related crime costs the economy about £13bn a year.’

[LINK:1010|CAPTION:No prisons for asylum-seekers ] | Independent


Jonathan Ellis, Director of Policy and Development at the Refugee Council writes a letter to the editor agreeing with Dame Ann Owers’ comments that people should not be held in prison like detention centres for immigration purposes.

[LINK:1011|CAPTION:Just one in ten police free to fight crime ] | Telegraph 


Just one in ten police officers is free to tackle crime at any given time because the vast majority are either off work or tied up on other duties, a watchdog report has disclosed.

In some parts of the country, as few as one in 16 officers is available to see the public or pick up the phone when a victim of crime calls.

The report, by Sir Denis O'Connor, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, also found on any one day there are just 5,000 officers across the country ready to respond to emergency 999 calls, raising fresh concerns over the police’s ability to protect the public
]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/tuesday-20-july-2010,582,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:51:57 BST</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/tuesday-20-july-2010,582,NAP.html</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Monday 19 July 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance 

[LINK:998|CAPTION:Revealed: brutal guide to punishing jailed youths]

[LINK:999|CAPTION:Nick Hardwick: 'Why have we put 85,000 people in jail?' ]

[LINK:1000|CAPTION:Lawrence suspects to face murder charges in months]

[LINK:1001|CAPTION:Watched like a hawk: does headmaster killer deserve a second chance?]

[LINK:1002|CAPTION:Long stretch: yoga meditation in prison]

[LINK:1003|CAPTION:Britain is a nation of outlaws]

{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily summary

[LINK:998|CAPTION:Revealed: brutal guide to punishing jailed youths]

Shocking details of techniques used to inflict pain deliberately on children in privately run jails have been revealed for the first time in a government document obtained by the Observer.
Some of the restraint and self-defence measures approved by the Ministry of Justice include ramming knuckles into ribs and raking shoes down the shins. 

[LINK:999|CAPTION:Nick Hardwick: 'Why have we put 85,000 people in jail?' ]

Nick Hardwick asked some tough questions as Head of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Now he intends to do the same as Chief Inspector of Prisons. In the highly charged debate around penal reform, Mr Hardwick believes that Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is taking the right approach. Mr Clarke has angered sections of the Conservative Party, most notably Michael Howard, by suggesting that prison doesn't work. 

When Mr Hardwick left his post at Nacro (formerly the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders) in the mid-1980s, prison numbers were heading towards 40,000. ‘I remember people saying what an awful thing that was. So how can it be now that prison numbers are 85,000?’ 

[LINK:1000|CAPTION:Lawrence suspects to face murder charges in months]

At least two members of the race hate gang originally accused of killing Stephen Lawrence could soon be charged with the 1993 murder. 

Following a sensational DNA breakthrough in the case, senior officers are now ‘very hopeful’ that they will be able to press criminal charges. 

[LINK:1001|CAPTION:Watched like a hawk: does headmaster killer deserve a second chance?]

Learco Chindamo was released from jail yesterday after spending 14 years in prison for stabbing headmaster Phillip Lawrence. Prison and probation officers have said he is a changed man. The Sun’s Anthony France says he deserves a second chance. Chindamo is staying in a hostel until more permanent accommodation is found for him and probation will be advising him on finding a job. It is understood he has offered to visit schools to warn youngsters about knife crime.

[LINK:1002|CAPTION:Long stretch: yoga meditation in prison]

Yoga classes are being held in Shepton Mallet prison, causing new controversy over prisoners' perks. A Prison Service spokesman said: ‘Activities like yoga have a role to play in engaging prisoners in education programmes and reducing the risk of reoffending.’ 

*And finally...*

[LINK:1003|CAPTION:Britain is a nation of outlaws]
We are a nation of rebels, risk takers and law breakers, it is claimed today. As many as four in 10 adults admit they are happy to commit a crime by using a mobile phone when driving, while 24 per cent confess to stealing from work. And 33 per cent reveal they have had sex in public, while 36 per cent of us have parked illegally.



]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/monday-19-july-2010,575,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:33:37 BST</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/monday-19-july-2010,575,NAP.html</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Friday 16 July 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance 

[LINK:987|CAPTION:Shock  as crime rates fall to their lowest level in 30 years ]

[LINK:988|CAPTION:Police failing to clear three out of four crimes despite fall in offending]

[LINK:990|CAPTION:Report recommends more restorative justice to cut youth reoffending] 
[LINK:989|CAPTION:
Justice Secretary: I will make all lags do jobs in jail]

{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily Summary

[LINK:987|CAPTION:Shock  as crime rates fall to their lowest level in 30 years ]/ Independent

Crime in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 30 years according to new figures, confounding fears that the recession would lead to an increase in offending.
The number of crimes committed in 2009/10 was 9.6 million, according to the British Crime Survey. It is a drop of 9 per cent on the previous year's figures of 10.5 million and the lowest level since 1981.

Almost every category of crime fell, including acquisitive crimes such as burglary and theft. It had been feared that such crimes would rise due to the economic downturn. Violent crime fell 1 per cent year-on-year while vandalism fell by 11 per cent. Only robbery and street muggings increased.

[LINK:988|CAPTION:Police failing to clear three out of four crimes despite fall in offending] / Daily Mail

The Daily Mail looks at crime figures from a different angle reporting that police solve only one in every four crimes. They claim that despite an overall fall in recorded crime, detection rates for every category of offence are low. ‘The picture could become even worse with expects warning that up to 60,000 police staff will be axed because of budget cuts.’
[LINK:989|CAPTION:
Justice Secretary: I will make all lags do jobs in jail] / Sun

JUSTICE Secretary Ken Clarke is to enforce a get-tough prison revolution by forcing ALL lags to work while they're locked up. 
         
The veteran Tory cabinet minister revealed the plan during a grilling by The Sun in a bid to prove he hasn't gone soft on criminals. Under his proposals, prisoners will have to take up either training or jobs in new jail workshops and factories. If they refuse, they will lose their privileges. 

The tough regime is being drawn up to give repeat offenders a work ethic - so they don't go back to a life of crime. 


And from yesterday’s news …

[LINK:990|CAPTION:Report recommends more restorative justice to cut youth reoffending] / Guardian
 

Experience in Northern Ireland shows that reoffending drops if criminals meet their victims. A massive expansion in restorative justice, under which young offenders are required to meet their victims or the police, would cut reoffending rates and the numbers of young people in prison, according to a report published today. 

The report by the Independent Commission on Youth Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour – organised by the Police Foundation and funded by the Nuffield Foundation – also says it would deliver better justice for victims and avoid the automatic sending of youth offenders to court.




]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/friday-16-july-2010,573,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:33:23 BST</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/friday-16-july-2010,573,NAP.html</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Wednesday 14 July 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance 

[LINK:983|CAPTION:Ken Clarke says imprisonment not linked to crime fall]

[LINK:984|CAPTION:Who are the big players in Ken Clarke's prison reforms?]

[LINK:985|CAPTION:High security jails unsafe, warns outgoing watchdog] 

[LINK:986|CAPTION:Immigrants should not be in jail, says prisons watchdog]

{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily summary

[LINK:983|CAPTION:Ken Clarke says imprisonment not linked to crime fall]

There is no link between rising levels of imprisonment and falling crime, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has said. 

With crime having fallen in most of the Western world in the 1990s, he said the decline may have been due to economic growth and high employment levels.

Mr Clarke told judges at their annual Mansion House Dinner in London that "no-one can prove cause and effect" for why crime fell in the 1990s. His comments come after former Tory home secretary Michael Howard recently criticised him for attacking high imprisonment rates.

[LINK:984|CAPTION:Who are the big players in Ken Clarke's prison reforms?]

For Clarke's prison revolution to work he has to persuade the courts that the alternatives are more effective in cutting reoffending rates, says Alan Travis. That means improving the performance of the probation service. Surprisingly, Clarke didn't mention the word probation in his speech and pointed out that the one thing he couldn't do was pump new money into non-custodial sentences. Instead he is putting all his eggs in the private and voluntary sector basket.

[LINK:985|CAPTION:High security jails unsafe, warns outgoing watchdog] 

Dame Anne Owers signalled a growing risk of unrest in high security jails because they are full of young men serving long sentences who have “little to lose”. 

She said the situation inside the country’s toughest prisons is worse and more unsafe than when she took up the office of watchdog nine years ago. 

Dame Anne stands down from her post today and in her valedictory speech last night joined the growing calls for fewer people to be put behind bars. 

She said more investment in alternatives was needed because the overcrowding crisis is one of the main reasons for high reoffending rates. In her final speech, to the Prison Reform Trust, Dame Anne said: “I believe that our high security prisons are less stable, more difficult to run and potentially more unsafe than they were nine years ago." 

[LINK:986|CAPTION:Immigrants should not be in jail, says prisons watchdog]

The United Kingdom Border Agency should be stripped of its responsibility for detaining asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, the Chief Inspector of Prisons has said.
Dame Anne Owers today warns of the conflict between the forced removal of failed asylum seekers and the proper care of detainees held in immigration custody. 

Her call for a separation of roles comes after growing concern about the alleged brutal treatment of asylum seekers held in immigration removal centres before their return to their countries of origin. 




]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/wednesday-14-july-2010,572,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:33:06 BST</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/wednesday-14-july-2010,572,NAP.html</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Monday 12 July 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance 

[LINK:974|CAPTION:Probation watchdog: serious crimes may be price to pay for cutting cost of justice]
[LINK:975|CAPTION:
Napo calls for the National Offender Management Service to be axed]

[LINK:976|CAPTION:Consensus  on crime]

[LINK:977|CAPTION:Police in Raoul Moat manhunt face searching questions]

{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily Summary

[LINK:974|CAPTION:Probation watchdog: serious crimes may be price to pay for cutting cost of justice]

Murders and other serious crimes committed by prisoners released early from jail may have to be “accepted” by the public as part of attempts to keep down the cost of the criminal justice system, the probation watchdog suggested. Andrew Bridges questioned whether it was worth keeping thousands of violent and dangerous offenders locked up for longer than the minimum jail term set by a court just to stop a few of them committing new crimes. 
[LINK:975|CAPTION:
Napo calls for the National Offender Management Service to be axed]

Ministers are being called on to scrap the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), which was introduced by the previous government to link prison and probation services.

A briefing paper by probation officers union Napo released today argues that the merger, introduced six years ago, has failed in its aim to provide seamless support for offenders during and after release. It has also effectively led to a prison service takeover of probation. Napo argues that the prison focus of senior managers in NOMS has meant they have little understanding of managing offenders in the community.

[LINK:976|CAPTION:Consensus  on crime] 

Roma Hooper, Director of Make Justice Work cites a real opportunity for cross party consensus on criminal justice in a letter to the Guardian. She says the important test for Labour will be at the hustings in two weeks time.

[LINK:977|CAPTION:Police in Raoul Moat manhunt face searching questions]

Investigations into several aspects of the hunt for gunman Raoul Moat will be carried out by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). There are many questions about the actions of the police, especially at the early stages of the investigation. One focus of the IPCC probe is why police appear not to have acted upon a warning from Durham Prison that Raoul Moat risked causing "serious harm" to his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart.]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/monday-12-july-2010,568,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:32:52 BST</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/monday-12-july-2010,568,NAP.html</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Monday 5 July 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance

[LINK:942|CAPTION:War veterans should be helped to adjust to civilian life, say MPs as numbers in jail grow ]

[LINK:943|CAPTION:Prison’s secret child restraint manual to be made public ]

[LINK:944|CAPTION:Report highlights poor conditions for children in custody ]

[LINK:945|CAPTION:Boy aged eight kicked out of school for carrying a knife ]

[LINK:946|CAPTION:Young men thrive on opportunity, not jail ]

[LINK:947|CAPTION:Do prisons ever work?]

[LINK:948|CAPTION:David Davis says Coalition prison plans are dangerous and unworkable ]

[LINK:949|CAPTION:Empty our prisons – but pay for the consequences ]

[LINK:951|CAPTION:Serco secures £415 million London prison contract ]

[LINK:950|CAPTION:Letters]

{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily summary


[LINK:942|CAPTION:War veterans should be helped to adjust to civilian life, say MPs as numbers in jail grow ] | Guardian 

The all-party justice unions’ parliamentary group (JUPG) have put forward proposals to the Ministries of Defence and Justice as part of a national strategy to reduce offending among veterans. 

Recommendations from the group include access to ‘decompression’ advice, better assessments before they leave the service and the completion of a thorough Ministry of Justice survey, using probation and prison officers to ascertain how many veterans are currently in the criminal justice system. 

A former sergeant major is interviewed about his experiences and the support he receives through Talking 2 Minds. 

[LINK:943|CAPTION:Prison’s secret child restraint manual to be made public ] | Times 

Child protection groups have welcomed the decision to disclose the contents of a secret manual governing the use of physical restraint in child prisons. 

The Youth Justice Board has agreed to hand over the instructors manual detailing techniques used in secure training centres. Officials from the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) said that the board appealed against an order by the Information Commissioner that the document be given to them. 

The document includes descriptions of ‘distraction’ techniques which deliberately inflict pain. 


[LINK:944|CAPTION:Report highlights poor conditions for children in custody ] | Children and Young People Now

Conditions for children in custody are not improving despite a fall in overall numbers, a new report has claimed.

Life Inside 2010, published by the Howard League for Penal Reform, is the first policy report to be published as part of the U R Boss project, following a series of workshops and one-to-one meetings with boys aged 15 to 17 years old currently in custody and released into the community. 


[LINK:945|CAPTION:Boy aged eight kicked out of school for carrying a knife ] | The Sun

A Freedom of Information Act request to local councils has revealed the extent to which children are being excluded from school for carrying knives and other weapons, including barbed wire and DIY tools. 

The youngest boy caught was found with a decorating knife in Flint, North Wales. The worst area was Haringey, North London, with 82 incidents. A spokesman for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said: "It's unacceptable."

[LINK:946|CAPTION:Young men thrive on opportunity, not jail ] | Independent 

Journalist Peter Stanford discusses Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke’s speech last week about penal reform and tries to evaluate the pros and cons of locking young people up for minor criminal offences. 

[LINK:947|CAPTION:Do prisons ever work?] | Daily Express 

The Daily Express asks those who have had experience of jail to reveal how effective or lenient it really is. 

Nacro’s chief executive Paul McDowell says: “When reoffending rates are considered it’s undeniable that performance is not good enough. 

“Reoffending rates are lower when people are dealt with in the community and I support that as an alternative to short sentences. More than anything, being in prison is tedious. Prisoners are locked in their cells for too long. They need more to occupy their minds.”

[LINK:948|CAPTION:David Davis says Coalition prison plans are dangerous and unworkable ] | Telegraph 

Former shadow home secretary David Davis has warned that a proposal by the Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke, to jail fewer criminals could do "much more harm" than locking them up. 

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Davis said: "Prison may be expensive but it's less expensive than the alternative which is rising crime in the community which does much more harm.”


[LINK:949|CAPTION:Empty our prisons – but pay for the consequences ] | Observer

Nick Cohen reflects on why prison numbers have doubled since Ken Clarke was Home Secretary in 1993, referring to a ‘punishment explosion’ introduced by Michael Howard and ratcheted up by the Labour government. He says that Ken Clarke will need to spend on rehabilitation before he can cut the costs of mass imprisonment. 

[LINK:950|CAPTION:Letters] | Telegraph 

Responses on the letters pages of the Telegraph to Ken Clarke’s announcements on prisons last week.

[LINK:951|CAPTION:Serco secures £415 million London prison contract ] | Reuters

One of Britain's leading outsourcing companies, Serco, has signed a contract to run a new London prison in the face of concerns that public spending cuts could mean fewer deals for support services firms. Deleted superfluous comma.

Serco said its consortium had signed a contract worth £415 million with the Ministry of Justice to build and manage a prison at Belmarsh West in London.

]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/monday-5-july-2010,561,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Mon, 5 Jul 2010 14:13:38 BST</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/monday-5-july-2010,561,NAP.html</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Thursday 8 July 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance 


[LINK:965|CAPTION:Knives mean jail ]

[LINK:966|CAPTION:Sports day ban for dad with no CRB check ]

[LINK:963|CAPTION:The prisoner rehabilitation revolution: it's a start]

[LINK:962|CAPTION:Criminals, not citizens, should be behind bars]

[LINK:964|CAPTION:White and male Met is not racist, says report  ]

[LINK:967|CAPTION:Shotgun license given to child of ten by police]

[LINK:964|CAPTION:I will atone for my crime says killer of head teacher ]

[LINK:968|CAPTION:Call for review of indeterminate sentences for children ]




{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily summary


[LINK:965|CAPTION:Knives mean jail ] / Sun

David Cameron has said that people carrying a knife will be jailed. He spoke out in the commons after the deaths of two teenagers in London. Ministers have ordered a review of sentences handed to offenders. Before the election, the conservatives had said anyone convicted of a knife crime ‘can expect to face a prison sentence.’ But the crackdown was not part of the coalition agreement signed with the Lib Dems, raising concerns the proposal had been ditched. 

[LINK:966|CAPTION:Sports day ban for dad with no CRB check ] / Daily Mail

A school turned a father away from his son’s first sports day after banning parents who had not been checked by police from mixing with pupils. The taxi driver had gone to watch his son, a year seven pupil, compete in sprints and egg-and-spoons races. But teachers refused to let him spectate because they did not believe he had undergone checks by the Criminal Records Bureau.

[LINK:963|CAPTION:The prisoner rehabilitation revolution: it's a start] / Guardian

Nacro’s CEO, Paul McDowell, writes to the Guardian in response to Zoe Williams article about prison being like Eton. He says: “Unlike the boys at Eton, when prisoners are released they are put at the bottom of the pile by housing providers and employers, despite any skills they may have gained behind bars. Any move to focus on a rehabilitation revolution must be seen as a positive move, inside and outside prison gates.”

[LINK:962|CAPTION:Criminals, not citizens, should be behind bars] / Times

Times columnist, Ross Clarke argues that electric gates are not a solution to crime. Besides being lethal to children, they also destroy community spirit. He believes that honest citizens should not be deprived the joys of the traditional street and environments should be designed to invite people in and make them feel comfortable, not stick two fingers up at them. 

[LINK:964|CAPTION:White and male Met is not racist, says report  ] / Telegraph

The Metropolitan Police should no longer be labelled  “institutionally racist” but parts of its culture remain ‘white and male’ an official inquiry has found. The Race and Faith report, commissioned by Boris Johnson said a new vision was required for tackling prejudice and discrimination, 11 years after the Macpherson report into racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. 

[LINK:967|CAPTION:Shotgun license given to child of ten by police] / Daily Mail

Police have awarded a shotgun license to a child of ten, it emerged yesterday. The unnamed youngster is thought to be one of the youngest ever to be given a permission to use a weapon. Lucy Cope, founder of Mothers Against Guns has called for the license to be revoked.

[LINK:964|CAPTION:I will atone for my crime says killer of head teacher ] / Telegraph

The killer of the head teacher, Philip Lawrence has claimed that he will atone for his terrible crime by living ‘quietly and decently’ after being released from prison. Learco Chindamo is due to leave jail imminently after being granted parole, having served 14 years of his life sentence for the murder of Mr Lawrence outside his school in London in 1995. The Italian-born claims he is a reformed character but accepted that his release would anger some. 

[LINK:968|CAPTION:Call for review of indeterminate sentences for children ] / Children and Young People Now

A call has been made for indeterminate sentences to be reviewed on the back of a report highlighting concerns about the impact on offenders and their families. Statistics released by the Prison Reform Trust show that the number of 10- to 17-year-olds detained indefinitely for public protection under Section 226 of the Criminal Justice Act has increased by 170 per cent in three years from 26 in 2005 to 70 in 2008.]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/thursday-8-july-2010,566,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Fri, 9 Jul 2010 11:37:51 BST</pubDate>
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      <title>Friday 9 July 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance

[LINK:969|CAPTION:Ed Milliband backs Kenneth Clarke over shorter jail terms ]

[LINK:970|CAPTION:Rape defendants to be granted anonymity despite outrage]

[LINK:971|CAPTION:Policeman tricked teenagers into accepting cautions to meet his targets]

[LINK:972|CAPTION:Anti-terrorism stop and search powers dropped ]

[LINK:973|CAPTION:Police drug busters red-faced as cannabis raid uncovers nothing more than tomato plants ]

{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily summary

[LINK:969|CAPTION:Ed Milliband backs Kenneth Clarke over shorter jail terms ] | Guardian

Ed Milliband today warned his shadow Cabinet colleagues not to try to "out-right the right" on crime, but to follow the lead of Ken Clarke who wants to reduce prison sentences. 

The leadership contender's remarks differ sharply from Jack Straw, the shadow justice secretary, who said that sending more people to jail had cut crime.

"I don't think we should try to out-right the right on crime," Milliband said. "A lot of what [Clarke] is doing is motivated by budget cuts; but he is opening up an opportunity for us to redefine part of the debate about criminal justice."

[LINK:970|CAPTION:Rape defendants to be granted anonymity despite outrage] | Telegraph 

The government is to push ahead with plans to grant anonymity to men accused of rape despite anger from women MPs and campaigners, it has been announced.

Female Conservative backbenchers threatened to vote against the move, which would mean that men falsely accused of rape could not be named unless they went on to be charged. 

In a rare case of the House of Commons dividing on gender lines, male MPs of all parties spoke in support of the move, while their female counterparts joined forces to condemn the government’s decision as “deeply disturbing”. 


[LINK:971|CAPTION:Policeman tricked teenagers into accepting cautions to meet his targets] | Telegraph

A police constable who tricked teenagers into accepting official cautions to meet detection targets and boost his promotion prospects has been given a three-year jail term. Pc Dominic de Souza, 31, who works for Norfolk Police, was convicted of nine offences of wilful misconduct in a public office following a trial at Norwich Crown Court. 

Judge Peter Jacobs said de Souza, who committed the offences while working near Norwich, had ''criminalised'' innocent people and was guilty of a ''pervasive abuse of power''. 

He told the court that the case ''exposed the shortcomings'' of target-driven policing and did ''wholesale damage'' to public confidence in the police.


[LINK:972|CAPTION:Anti-terrorism stop and search powers dropped ] | Telegraph

Anti-terror stop and search powers that allow police to search individuals even without reason for suspicion have effectively been abandoned. Police will not be allowed to use the powers to stop and search individuals unless they ''reasonably suspect'' them of being a terrorist, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said.

The change follows a European Court of Human Rights judgment last month which ruled the power to search people without suspicion under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 was illegal. 

[LINK:973|CAPTION:Police drug busters red-faced as cannabis raid uncovers nothing more than tomato plants ] | Daily Mail

A squad of police officers who raided a family home in search of a cannabis factory were suitably red-faced when they unearthed nothing more than a few tomato plants. 

James Diamond woke to find a burly police officer in his bedroom telling him they were about to ‘take apart’ his supposed drugs factory. But their search proved fruitless when they found nothing more sinister than three tomato plants growing in his back garden, and the embarrassed crime fighters left empty-handed.




]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/friday-9-july-2010,567,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Fri, 9 Jul 2010 11:36:40 BST</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>Wednesday 30 June 2010</title>
      <description><![CDATA[{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Top stories at a glance

[LINK:938|CAPTION:Kenneth Clarke hints at prison sentencing reform with attack on bang 'em up culture ]

[LINK:939|CAPTION:Ken Clarke is right to challenge "prison works" ]

[LINK:940|CAPTION:Mr Clarke and the Lib Dems are wrong. Prison DOES work – and I helped prove it ]

[LINK:941|CAPTION:The case against cutting prison numbers ]

{style=color:#00B2EE}!!Daily summary

[LINK:938|CAPTION:Kenneth Clarke hints at prison sentencing reform with attack on bang 'em up culture ] | Guardian 

Kenneth Clarke will today launch a scathing attack on the Victorian "bang 'em up" prison culture of the past 20 years.

The justice secretary's speech to the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies in London marks a major assault on the "prison works" orthodoxy launched by former Tory home secretary Michael Howard, and is believed to be causing nervousness in Downing Street.

Clarke will warn that simply "banging up more and more people for longer" is actually making some criminals worse, without protecting the public.


[LINK:939|CAPTION:Ken Clarke is right to challenge "prison works" ] | New Statesman

George Eaton praises Ken Clarke as a “brave and honest politician, who can now expect to face the combined forces of the Tory right, the Daily Mail and the Labour Party.

“They will cry with one voice that prison works: an offender can't commit a crime if he is behind bars. But this quick-fix, short-term approach stores up more problems than it solves.”

[LINK:940|CAPTION:Mr Clarke and the Lib Dems are wrong. Prison DOES work – and I helped prove it ] | Jack Straw in the Daily Mail

Jack Straw writes in the Daily Mail that a key factor in reducing crime has been the increased number of offenders sent to prison and asks: “Does anyone seriously believe that crime would have come down and stayed down without these extra prison places?”

[LINK:941|CAPTION:The case against cutting prison numbers ] | The Spectator blog 

The Spectator blog argues: “Gordon Brown was right to boast that crime fell during the Labour years. This was because his government locked up more bad guys. When Lord Carter reviewed Blair’s policy in 2003 he concluded that crime ‘would fall dramatically’ if persistent offenders were jailed. 

“Labour duly increased the prison population by a third to nearly 85,000 - with another 11,000 in the pipeline. Yes, it cost more money upfront. Calculations based on Home Office figures suggest this approach saved the country from 3.2 million crimes.”

]]></description>
      <link>http://www.nacro.org.uk/media-centre/daily-news/wednesday-30-june-2010,553,NAP.html</link>
      <pubDate>Sat, 3 Jul 2010 13:13:52 BST</pubDate>
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