Kent criminals cannot hide from consequences of their crimes

10 Mar 2010 04:15 PM

Local residents in Kent are to be given more and better information about the punishments given to criminals in their area.

During a visit to Kent Police Headquarters, Justice Minister Claire Ward launched a new initiative by Kent Police to publish offenders’ crimes and their punishments, as a matter of course, on their website. By frequently sharing this information with community members it will help increase confidence that offenders are being caught and punished.

The move is part of a wider Government drive to make justice more visible and provide better information in a way that is easy to find and understand.

This follows a Government poll in 2009 that showed more than two thirds of people think it is important for the public to be told about the sentences handed out to offenders, but only a quarter currently feel well informed.

Minister for Justice, Claire Ward, said:

‘People want to know what happens to criminals in their area once they are convicted because it shows that there are consequences to breaking the law.
 
‘Individual crimes often get a lot of media coverage and news can spread across communities quickly that a crime has been committed. However, the news that someone has been caught, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced does not travel as far.

‘We want to make sure that communities know that criminals will not escape the consequences of their crimes and are encouraging the authorities to publish details of crimes and the punishments criminals have received – Kent is one of those areas leading the way.

‘To help other areas publicise criminal convictions, like in Kent, we published guidance in December 2009, which sets out the legal framework for police forces and other public bodies to follow when deciding whether and how much information to publish.

‘If people are to have confidence in our criminal justice system, justice must be done – and be seen to be done.’

The decision to publicise sentencing outcomes comes amid efforts to set straight the misconception that human rights and data protection laws prevent criminals and their punishments from being exposed.

The government published clear guidance, in December 2009, that sets out exactly what information can and can not be disclosed by agencies.

Verdicts and sentences are given out in open court and are already a matter of public record. Copies of the court register, containing the outcomes of criminal cases and details of upcoming court cases, have been available to local newspapers and regularly reported for many years.

Notes to editors

1. Legal guidance Publicising Individual Sentencing Outcomes to the Community Criminal Justice System online, PDF 137kb, 12 pages
2. Louise Casey’s report Publicising Criminal Convictions: The Importance of Telling the Public Criminal Justice System online, PDF 100kb, 8 pages
3. The publication of criminal conviction ties in with the Justice Seen Justice Done campaign, a key part of which is about building the public’s confidence that the criminal justice system is on their side.  This campaign follows on from Louise Casey’s Cabinet Office review Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime.
4. The Office for Criminal Justice Reform is the cross-departmental team that supports all criminal justice agencies in working together to provide an improved service to the public.
5. For media enquiries please call the Ministry of Justice Press Office on 020 3334 3535.