Everyone feels safe – we all respect the law and each other
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Overview
Reducing crime, reducing reoffending, and increasing respect and reconciliation collectively play a crucial role in creating a safe community and in diverting people, especially young people, from entering the justice system.
Outcome 7 focuses on creating an environment where people feel safe and respected, regardless of their background and beliefs. It also aims to increase the degree to which people respect each other and what makes us unique.
It is important to address the harm and vulnerability caused by crime and reduce offending. This is done by challenging and supporting people to change and assisting those in custody to make better life-choices when they are released.
The justice system also needs to be more effective; the speed that cases progress through the system matters to victims and witnesses, their families and their communities and can help offenders to better understand the implications of their actions.
Key issues
Outcome 7 centres on the following areas:
Problem Solving Justice
Problem Solving Justice is a new approach in Northern Ireland aimed at addressing the root causes of offending behaviour and reducing harm and addressing vulnerabilities within families and communities.
Reducing crime
- Reducing crime, and the harm and vulnerability caused by crime, by working across Government and with the community and voluntary sector to address the underlying societal issues that can be associated with criminal and anti-social behaviours.
- Addressing domestic and sexual violence by increasing awareness of the issue and of the support available; encouraging reporting; and enhancing mechanisms to keep people safe.
- Tackling Paramilitarism, Criminality and Organised Crime and Together: Building a United Community Strategy to divert people from entering the justice system.
- Working with partners to produce a refreshed Organised Crime Strategy for Northern Ireland, to protect citizens, communities and businesses in Northern Ireland from organised crime.
Reducing reoffending
- Rehabilitation and resettlement of prisoners within the custodial setting through increased support for prisoners to develop positive family and social ties; access support for education and training, employment, health and well-being; and retain accommodation.
- Exit children from the youth justice system at the earliest opportunity.
Respect and cultural identity
- Work across Government on strategic programmes, such as Tackling Paramilitarism, Criminality and Organised Crime and Together: Building a United Community Strategy (T:BUC) to increase confidence, respect and reconciliation in communities.
- Community Relations Council - funding to take forward wider good relations work.
- PEACE IV programme through SEUPB contributes to the delivery of the programme aimed at supporting peace and reconciliation.
- Racial Equality Strategy to create a more shared community through cultural expression.
Reduce avoidable delay
- Rolling out Case Progression Officers to provide administrative support to the Judiciary.
- Embedding the Indictable Cases Process as ‘best practice’ for Crown Court cases.
- Embedding Proportionate Forensic Reporting to reduce unnecessary reporting within both Forensic Science NI and PSNI Forensics.
Supporting vulnerable children with complex needs
- The Departments of Health and Justice are working jointly to develop a secure care and justice campus for vulnerable children with complex needs.
Statement of progress
Department of Justice Permanent Secretary, Peter May, is responsible for Outcome 7. Read Peter’s Outcome 7 progress statement which explains how this outcome is performing.
Actions
Actions are the programmes, projects and services that government and its partners are delivering. They should benefit specific groups of customers, rather than all of Northern Ireland, and their progress is assessed using performance measures which can be depicted in a Report Card.
Report Cards are designed around three questions:
- How much did we do? For example, the number of customers served
- How well did we do it? For example, percentage of customers who finished a programme
- Is anyone better off? For example, the number or percentage who were helped by the programme
The table shows the actions being taken and updates on the progress being made.
| Action | Progress |
|---|---|
| Deliver a range of Problem Solving Justice initiatives: - Enhanced Combination Orders - Substance Misuse Court - Domestic Violence Behavioural Change Programme - Motorcycle Awareness Project |
The Enhanced Combination Order continues to be available in two areas. The Substance Misuse Court pilot commenced in Belfast in April 2018 and is expected to run until December 2020. Development and implementation of the Behavioural Change Programme (Health Trust based) has progressed in 5 Trust areas throughout NI. A 12-week Motorcycle Awareness Programme pilot was delivered in 2018-19, with refined 6 week courses run over July/August and September/October 2019. 38 course participants have gained new qualifications; 3 new coaches have been trained. A further programme is planned for delivery in February/March 2020 for the West Belfast area. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Deliver an awareness campaign to raise awareness of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence. | Now in the third year of an awareness raising programme, including a domestic violence and abuse disclosure scheme. 1 April and 31 October 2018 - 536 applications and 64 disclosures to the disclosure scheme. Of those questioned, who were aware of the advertising: - 77 percent agreed it clearly sets how to apply to the scheme - 76 percent agreed it would encourage them to watch out for the signs of domestic abuse - 66 percent agreed it would make them more likely to report domestic abuse - 65 percent agreed it would make them more likely to apply to the scheme if they had a concern (Updated: December 2019) |
| Deliver the Executive action plan for tackling paramilitarism, criminality and organised crime. The Tackling Paramilitarism Programme is a series of 38 commitments from the NI Executive aimed at tackling paramilitarism, criminality and organised crime, including the following specific projects: Women Involved in Community Transformation - to enhance the role of women in community life Aspire programme - providing support for vulnerable young men START programme - providing support for vulnerable young people Ending the Harm public awareness campaign to highlight the impact of paramilitary groups in communities Paramilitary Crime Taskforce to tackle paramilitary activity and associated harm |
Delivery of the Programme continues. The Women Involved in Community Transformation programme has been extended. Recruitment of participants for a further two stages is underway. Expansion of the Aspire programme with the recruitment of additional workers. Extra youth workers have been engaged and a range of youth diversionary activities have been supported under the START Programme. The Ending the Harm campaign continues to be rolled out. Research suggests substantial shifts in attitude between 2017 and 2019. The proportion of respondents who believe these attacks are justified fell from 35 percent to 19 percent over that period. The Paramilitary Crime Task Force has: - seized drugs with a street value of over £550 000 - taken 169 firearms, imitation firearms and offensive weapons - secured 30 convictions - prevented loss of £4 million revenue Overall, the number of paramilitary style attacks has decreased year on year since 2016-17. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Protect against harm from crime and organised crime, through education, raising awareness, and targeted interventions including: - rollout of Support Hubs to remaining council areas - deliver performances of the ‘Blackout’ play |
Support Hubs are currently operational in eight out of ten operational areas with plans in place for full rollout. For progress on the Blackout play, see the Report Card. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Deliver a range of initiatives to speed up the justice system: - rollout and embed Case Progression Officers - mainstream the Indictable Cases Process - embed Proportionate Forensic Reporting |
Case Progression Officers are currently a pilot project in two court areas. Indictable Cases Process - an interim evaluation is currently underway, findings of which will inform further rollout. Proportionate Forensic Reporting (PRF) has now been largely rolled out. PSNI Cyber Crime has also now adapted the PFR model to include analysis of digital evidence. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Deliver a range of actions to exit children from the youth justice system: - develop and extend the Earlier Stage Intervention (ESI) programme across NI - extend the Community Resolution Notice Referral Scheme to deal with all types of offences across all areas of NI - Deliver Youth Engagement Clinics to divert children from the formal system through the provision of appropriate, timely information and support |
See Report Card. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Improve the health and wellbeing of prisoners by embedding the Supporting People at Risk (SPAR) Evolution by: - providing tailored support to meet the needs of the individual - adopting a person centred approach when a concern is raised about someone including the risk assessment response, support and interventions to address what has caused the crisis or distress and to support them during that period |
Using a comparison of 01/01/18 – 31/10/18 with the same period in 2019, Hydebank Wood has reported the following results: Female prisoners: - 41 percent reduction in people identified as 'at risk' - 14 percent reduction in incidents of self-harm - 12 percent reduction in the use of observation cells Male prisoners: - 71 percent reduction in people identified as 'at risk' - 53 percent reduction in incidents of self-harm - 60 percent reduction in the use of observation cells Using a comparison of 01/04/18 – 30/06/18 with the same period in 2019, Maghaberry has reported the following results: - 27 percent reduction in people identified as 'at risk' - 14 percent reduction in incidents of self-harm - 28 percent reduction in the use of observation cells - 33 percent reduction in the use of safer clothing At Magilligan, SPAR Evolution figures are not yet available. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Deliver a range of physical wellbeing programmes to individuals in prisons through partnership with the Irish Football Association, the Gaelic Athletic Association, Ulster Rugby and the Irish Amateur Boxing Association. | The Irish Football Association plans to run 9 courses for 96 participants across all three establishments by April 2020. The Gaelic Athletic Association plans to run 9 courses for 100 participants across all three establishments by April 2020. Ulster Rugby has delivered programmes in all three establishments for 88 participants, with further programmes being planned. The Irish Amateur Boxing Association is due to start delivery in 2020. (Updated: December 2019) |
| To improve employment outcomes for those who have offended by: - launching the Ban the Box campaign in NI, in partnership with Business in the Community - introducing Work Coaches into prisons to provide a warm handover to Jobs and Benefits staff upon release from prison - providing prison-based Job Clubs - holding mini job fairs within prisons - developing the use of Employment Academies with prisons |
Launch of a Ban the Box campaign is planned for early in 2020. Work Coach Attachment, including Job Clubs, will be introduced in two phases. Phase 1 will be operational before the end of December 2019 with Phase 2 being completed early in 2020. Discussions continue with DfC and Further Education Colleges on delivery models for Job Fairs and Employment Academies. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Through the Community Relations Council: - increase the capacity of local community organisations by providing core funding - deliver the North Belfast Good Relations Programme by funding contract holders - promote good relations work by holding community engagement events |
To date there have been four Shared Learning Forums bringing together core funded organisations to share and develop good practice. 89 Good Relations Grants awards have been made to local organisations since April 2019. Just over £350,000 has been awarded to date to 11 contract holders for North Belfast Good Relations Programme. Six Development Support meetings have been held with all North Belfast Groups since January 2019. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Deliver the actions outlined in the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) strategy, including the seven headline actions: Shared Education: provide young people with shared education facilities by building shared campuses Peace4Youth: deliver development opportunities for young people not in education, employment or training through the PEACE IV Youth programme Shared Neighbourhoods: deliver good relation activities in the 10 shared housing schemes delivered under T:BUC Urban Villages: develop the physical environment and community capacity in each of the 5 Urban Village areas by running cross-community good relation projects and activities Uniting Communities Through Sport and Creativity: deliver a significant programme of cross community sporting and cultural activities across both urban and rural areas Interface Barriers: deliver a reduction in the number of physical barriers in impacted communities - T:BUC camps: deliver camps for young people throughout NI |
Work continues on five projects. Feasibility studies for Brookeborough and Duneane/Moneynick Shared Education Campus (SEC) projects have been approved. Limavady SEC has an anticipated construction start date of mid-2020. Stage 3 Design work is ongoing on the Ballycastle SEC. Over 1,500 young people participating on Phase 2 of the Peace4Youth programme. The 10 T:BUC Shared Housing schemes have completed, providing 483 shared social housing units. 483 social housing tenants (and their families) have been offered and have opted to live in a shared housing environment. A total of £5m has been invested in good relations programmes. Total funding awarded for 2019/20 is £9.2m. The total number of projects is broken down into 40 community led, 21 capital and 19 cross cutting. The total number of participants (6,860) relates to community led up to the end of Q2 (Sept 2019). The number of participants in cross cutting cannot be split into individual years (the cumulative figure for 18/19 – 19/20 is 6,404) and it is not possible at this stage to measure the participants for 19/20 capital projects. Uniting Ardoyne & Ballysillan Project (urban) - 19/20 budget allocated to date is £159,995 - 23 registered young leaders and ambassadors (16 to 24 year olds) - 85 registered participants (11 to 16 year olds) Uniting Derg DEA (rural) Programme commenced in September 2019 - 19/20 budget allocated to date is £60,000 - 14 registered young leaders and ambassadors (16 to 24 year olds) - recruitment is ongoing for participants Uniting Opportunities Grants - 19/20 budget allocated to date is £383,917 - 13 projects Young Leaders and Ambassadors Programme - 19/20 budget allocated to date is £199,965 14 registered ambassadors (16 to 24 year olds) - Parkside Gardens interface fence removed improving living environment for 13 houses - Serpentine Road play park completed, creating a new shared space for residents - Remove/reduce scheme work at Hillman Court, Duncairn Gardens started. £1.35m invested in 2019/20 to deliver 129 camps to over 4,000 young people across NI. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Deliver the District Council Good Relations Programme through District Councils. | The District Councils through the DCGRP will be delivering approximately 141 programmes to approximately 129,823 participants with funding from TEO of £3,050,000. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Deliver the Central Good Relations Funding Programme. | The Central Good Relations Fund has awarded 98 groups a total of £3.4m for 2019/20. The projects will impact 33,000 participants across NI. (Updated: December 2019) |
| Through SEUPB, contribute to the delivery of the PEACE IV programme to support peace and reconciliation by funding projects in the local community. | |
| Deliver the actions under the Racial Equality Strategy to: - tackle racist bullying in schools by working with stakeholders to produce media resources on the topic - deliver the Minority Ethnic Development Fund, supporting voluntary and community organisations working with minority ethnic people and groups |
A media campaign has been developed to address racial bullying in schools. The Minority Ethnic Development Fund has provided over £1.2m in 2019-20 year and is funding almost 40 applications. (Updated: December 2019) |
Rationale behind the actions
For information on the rationale behind these actions, their benefits, report cards showing progress and case studies, visit Outcome 7 actions.
Indicators
Indicators help assess progress against each outcome. They are high level and relate to the whole of Northern Ireland. They are also known as ‘population indicators’.
Progress against Outcome 7 is measured by five population indicators.
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