Progress on delivery
PSA 23: Make communities safer
The government's vision is that:
- Continuing to build on the significant reductions in crime achieved over recent years, fewer people are victims of crime, especially the most serious crime - violent, drug and alcohol-related crime - and the public are protected from the most harmful offenders; and
- Local agencies are accountable and responsive to the needs and priorities of the local community, leading to increased public confidence in those agencies.
The Home Office leads on this PSA, and the CPS contributes to one of the four priority actions and its two indicators.
Measure: Priority Action 3
Tackle the crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour (ASB) issues of greatest importance in each locality, increasing public confidence in the local agencies involved in dealing with these issues
Indicator 3: Public confidence in local agencies involved in tackling crime and ASB
Performance: Improvement
Baseline: 45% as measured by the British Crime Survey (BCS) interviews (October 2007 to March 2008) published July 2008.
Target (BCS 2010-2011): 55 per cent (with an additional target of 60% BCS 2011-2012).
The Policing Green Paper removed all top-down targets from the police with the exception of a single target on confidence. In addition to the 55% target for the PSA, the Home Secretary is clear that he wishes to see the national average level of public confidence reach 60% by the end of March 2012. Individual force targets have therefore been set to ensure that each force is contributing to achieving this national ambition.
Latest outturn: 50% as measured by the British Crime Survey (interviews for year to end June 2009).
This is a statistically significant improvement from the nine months to June 2008. For further information please see Home Office Statistics publication on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website
Indicator 4: The percentage of people perceiving ASB as a problem
Performance: No Improvement
Baseline: 16.4% as measured by the BCS (2007-08 interviews above).
It is a standard procedure to present BCS percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. However, target figures and statistically significant changes are calculated on unrounded figures and were presented in the Autumn Performance Report 2008 and June 2009 Departmental Annual Report with one decimal place. In this current report we now also have the latest outturn figures. In order to present the clearest picture of progress all BCS percentages are now presented to one decimal place.
The requirement for a statistically significant improvement was to reduce the percentage of people perceiving anti-social behaviour to be a problem to 15.4 per cent.
Latest outturn: 15.9% as measured by the BCS (interviews for year to end June 2009)
This is not statistically significantly different from the previous year. For further information please see Home Office Statistics publication on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website
PSA 24: Deliver a more effective, transparent and responsive Criminal Justice System for victims and the public
The government's vision is for a Criminal Justice System that:
- Is more effective in bringing offences to justice, especially serious offences; and
- Engages the public and inspires confidence; and
- Puts the needs of victims at its heart; and
- Has simple and efficient processes.
The CPS contributes to this PSA which is led by the Ministry of Justice.
While there has been improvement in relation to three of the five indicators (noting that some data is provisional), overall progress on the efficiency and effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System in bringing offences to justice indicator has been limited and there has been slippage on the recovery of criminal assets indicator.
Indicator 1: Effectiveness and efficiency of the Criminal Justice System in bringing serious offences to justice
Performance: Maintained
- Performance in bringing serious sexual offences to justice has improved.
- Performance in bringing serious acquisitive offences to justice indicates some progress.
- Performance in bringing serious violent offences to justice cannot be assessed.
The effectiveness of the CJS in bringing serious sexual and serious acquisitive offences to justice has been assessed by comparing data for the year ending June 2009 with the baseline year 2007/08. Current performance indicates some progress in narrowing the gap between recorded crime and offences brought to justice.
The number of serious sexual offences brought to justice has risen 3% since 2007/08, while the number of these recorded crimes has fallen by 3% over the same period.
The number of serious acquisitive offences brought to justice has fallen 7% since 2007/08, while the number of these recorded crimes has fallen by 8% over the same period.
There were 9,414 serious violent offences brought to justice in the year ending June 2009. The number of recorded serious violent crimes was 43,508 for the year ending June 2009. The 2008/09 baseline for this element of PSA 24 is 9,444 serious violent offences brought to justice and 42,470 recorded serious violent crimes.
Data on recorded crimes of serious violence from April 2008 cannot be compared with earlier periods and therefore historical comparisons are not possible. For this reason 2008/09 is the baseline year for this element of PSA 24 Indicator 1.
After a 45% increase in total expenditure on the CJS since 1998/99, the budgeted CJS spend in bringing offences brought to justice is projected to fall by approximately 3.2% over the period 2008/11 in real terms as efficiency savings are made. The budgeted spend in 2009/10 is £7.41bn compared to £7.55bn in 2007/08.
Indicator 2: Public confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System
Performance: Improvement
The proportion of people who think that the CJS as a whole is fair (from the British Crime Survey) was 59% for 12 months to June 2009, in comparison with a baseline of 56% in the six months to March 2008. If this performance is maintained this element of the indicator would be met.
The proportion of people who think that the CJS as a whole is effective (from the British Crime Survey) was 39% for the 12 months to June 2009, in comparison to the baseline of 37% for the six months ending March 2008. If this performance is maintained this element of the indicator would be met.
Indicator 3: Experience of the Criminal Justice System for victims and witnesses
Performance: Improvement
If current performance continues, both elements of this indicator will be met. The baseline for victim satisfaction with the police stands at 81% (12 months ending March 2008). Latest performance information has shown an improvement to 83% (12 months ending March 2009).
The baseline for victim and witness satisfaction with the CJS stands at 81% (six months ending March 2008). Latest performance has shown an improvement to 83% (12 months ending March 2009).
Indicator 4: Understanding and addressing race disproportionality at key stages in the Criminal Justice System
Performance: Improvement
The Minimum Data Set (which enables the analysis of consistent and robust ethnicity data across the criminal justice system in order to identify and, where necessary, address race disproportionality) was being used by 50% of LCJBs as at June 2009 against the target of 50% (the Minimum Data Set is rolled out on an area by area basis); by March 2010 it will be ahead of trajectory in terms of the number of LCJBs using the Minimum Data Set. A number of LCJBs are now formulating action plans using Minimum Data Set data to address issues identified. If current performance continues this indicator will be met.
Indicator 5: Recovery of criminal assets
Performance: Slippage
Baseline: £125m recovered in 2006/07.
Current performance shows that £31m has been recovered between April 2009 and June 2009.
Current performance trends are below trajectory to recover £250m in 2009/10. Actions are underway to address the performance gap.
CPS Departmental Strategic Objective (DSO)
To bring offenders to justice, improve services to victims and witnesses and promote confidence, by applying the Code for Crown Prosecutors, adopting a proportionate approach to determine which offenders should be charged and which should be diverted from court, and by firm and fair presentation of cases in court.
DSO Element: Efficiency Savings
CSR 2007 requires the CPS to deliver £69 million (comprising £66 million resource and £3 million capital) in efficiency savings by March 2011.
A new target was agreed as part of the 2009 Budget. Following the merger with RCPO the CPS will deliver £15 million further efficiency savings in 2010-11 raising the target to £84 million.
More information on the CPS and its contribution to PSA targets is available at www.cps.gov.uk and from:
Crown Prosecution Service
50 Ludgate Hill
London EC4M 7EX
Information on the CJS is available at www.cjsonline.gov.uk
DSO Element: Bring offenders to justice
CPS Progress since April 2009:
Maintained
This indicator is based on a measure of the efficiency and effectiveness of the CJS.
- See progress against PSA 24
DSO Element: Improve services to victims and witnesses
CPS Progress since April 2009:
Improvement
To increase the proportion of victims and witnesses who are satisfied with the way they are treated by the CJS.
- See progress against PSA 24
The proportion of witnesses who attend trial
Average national witness attendance for the year to September 2009 stands at 86.59% against a target of 90%. This is an improvement from 86% for 2007-08.
DSO Element: Promote confidence
CPS Progress since April 2009:
Improvement
Increased levels of public confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the CJS.
- See progress against PSA 24
Understand and address race disproportionality at the key stages of the CJS system. (Measured by LCJB returns.)
- See progress against PSA 24
Increased recovery of criminal assets.
- See progress against PSA 24
DSO Element: Apply the Code for Crown Prosecutors
CPS Progress since April 2009:
Improvement
Percentage of the Code properly applied. (Measured through Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) reviews of compliance with the Code.)
- CPS uses the Casework Quality Assurance (CQA) sampling process to assess the quality of its casework. During the period 1 October 2008 to 30 September 2009, 28,048 cases were sampled under CQA, compared to 27,446 in the corresponding period in 2007-08.
- According to CQA data, the Code decisions were satisfactorily made in 96.4% of the cases sampled; compared to 95.8% for the same period in 2007-08
DSO Element: Firm and fair presentation in court
CPS Progress since April 2009:
Not yet assessed
Improved results on advocacy standards (measured through the HMCPSI views on quality of advocacy).
Assurance of advocacy quality will be achieved through the Service's Advocacy Quality Management Strategy. The Strategy focuses on assessment and development and will serve to promote improvements in advocacy quality amongst both in-house and external advocates.
Assessments are conducted by evaluating advocates' performance in real court scenarios. The assessments are to be provided primarily by a team of internally recruited CPS Group Advocacy Assessors. In addition, suitably qualified External Advocacy Assessors are required to independently monitor and quality assure the process. The procedure involves the completion of an Advocacy Report on each advocate assessed.
This will provide a quality assured and consistent national system for advocacy assessment and performance rating. It is also supported by a range of bespoke training packages to assist advocates in their development and particularly in relation to trial advocacy skills.
Further, the CPS has welcomed the Inspectorate's report into advocacy and case preparation and the recognition that significant progress has been made in developing in-house advocacy. The CPS accepts all the recommendations in the Inspectorate's report and has prepared an action plan to take them forward. Implementing these recommendations, ranging from further training, clarification of roles to increased effectiveness of case management systems will serve to promote improvements in advocacy quality further.
Overall assessment: some progress
There has been an improvement in three out of the five indicators
