The Criminal Justice System (CJS) in Derbyshire
Derbyshire Constabulary, Derbyshire Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty's Court Service, Derby Youth Offending Service / Derbyshire Youth Offending Team, National Probation Service Derbyshire and Her Majesty's Prison Service form the Criminal Justice System in Derbyshire.
These agencies also work closely with other organisations, including Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) and Victim Support Derbyshire.
Together we aim to reduce crime and the fear of crime, support victims and witnesses, punish and rehabilitate offenders and achieve justice for the people of Derbyshire.
More information about some of these agencies can be found below, and by clicking on the links on the right.
Derbyshire Constabulary
The police help keep Derbyshire safe by enforcing the law. Their work includes responding to emergencies, investigating and detecting crimes, reducing crime, making communities safer, policing roads and providing scientific and other specialist support.
The police arrest offenders and gather and prepare information to prosecute offenders in court. Help is offered to victims of crime by putting them in touch with Victim Support.
The force is made up of police officers, police community support officers, police staff and the Special Constabulary.
Her Majesty's Court Service
Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) is a national organisation created in April 2005. It supports the work of independent judges and magistrates who sit in Derbyshire to deal with all criminal cases brought either by the Crown Prosecution Service or other prosecuting authorities. A wide variety of cases, from murder to road traffic, are dealt with every day. The Crown Court sits in Derby, and magistrates' courts are held in Buxton, Chesterfield, Derby, Glossop and Ilkeston.
National Probation Service Derbyshire
The aim of the Probation Service in Derbyshire is to protect the public and reduce re-offending. They do this by:
- submitting reports to the courts advising on appropriate sentencing options, and
- supervising offenders undertaking community sentences and those who are on release on licence conditions from prison.
Supervision also involves intensive programmes designed to tackle the causes of offending. Offenders on community sentences work unpaid for the benefit of the community. All supervision is based on best practice and complies with strict national guidelines.
Youth Offending Service
Derby Youth Offending Service (YOS), which is part of the Derby Community Safety Partnership, and Derbyshire Youth Offending Team (YOT) deal with young people aged 10 to 17 who have committed an offence or are at risk of offending.
The teams identify the specific problems that make the young person offend, as well as measure the risk they pose to others. This enables them to identify suitable programmes to address the needs of the young person with the intention of preventing further offending. Court orders given by the youth courts include Action Plan Orders, Referral Orders and Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programmes.
Her Majesty's Prison Service
The duty of the Prison Service is to effectively execute the sentences of the courts so as to reduce reoffending and protect the public by:
- holding those committed by the courts in a safe, decent and healthy environment,
- reducing crime by providing constructive regimes which address offending behaviour,
- improving education and work skills, and
- promoting law-abiding behaviour in custody and after release.
The Prison Service's purpose is pursued within the context of its own Framework Agreement and within the framework set by the Criminal Justice System as a whole.
Victim Support and Witness Service
Victim Support and Witness Service Derbyshire is a charity offering independent support and advice to victims and witnesses of crime and their families and friends throughout the criminal justice process.
They offer practical help, support and advice on court proceedings, pre-trial visits and separate waiting areas where possible, and an opportunity to talk over the case when it has ended. They can link you to other support services, including their own community based one. All these services are free, confidential and totally independent.