Written question asked by Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru) on Thursday, 1 May 2014, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 May 2014 (named day). It was answered by Jeremy Wright (Conservative) on Thursday, 8 May 2014 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Probation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the implications of an increase in the need for court reports arising from his Transforming Rehabilitation agenda on the workload of court staff.

Answer

We do not anticipate that Transforming Rehabilitation will have a substantial impact on the number of pre-sentence reports written. The National Probation Service (NPS) will continue to offer same-day reports where possible and to work closely with the courts to minimise adjournments.

By expanding post-release supervision for those sentenced to under 12-months, this cohort of offenders will now benefit from rehabilitative activity who were previously excluded, but this will not impact on pre-sentence court activity.

The new Risk of Serious Recidivism (RSR) tool will be used to inform the allocation of cases to new Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) or the NPS and complements the pre-sentence report process. The RSR is straightforward to use and will support the identification of the likelihood of an offender committing serious re-offending in the future. We will ensure that CRCs work closely with the NPS so that cases are brought before the courts speedily and effectively.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 197523; 580 cc268-9W
Session: 2013-14
Subjects: Staff Magistrates' courts Probation
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk

Probation

Secondary information

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