Tuesday 1st September, 2009

Gearing up for Inside Justice Week

PLANS are taking shape in Wiltshire and Swindon for this year's Inside Justice Week campaign, which will run from October 17–24.

Inside Justice Week is a major public initiative that aims to open up the Criminal Justice System to the public through a week of co–ordinated events and media activity across England and Wales. It will seek to explain how the system works and show the people involved in delivering justice today.rnrnResearch suggests that the more the public knows about how the CJS works, the more confident in it they become.

It is vital that the public has confidence in the CJS. If people are confident, they are more likely to report crime or, if they are a witness, they are more likely to turn up and give evidence in court.rnActivities in Wiltshire and Swindon for Inside Justice Week will be co–ordinated by the Wiltshire Criminal Justice Board (WCJB).

The WCJB, in partnership with criminal justice agencies and partner organisations across Wiltshire and Swindon, will stage a number of events to encourage people to get involved in local justice.

They will also seek to inform CJS staff about the work of individual agencies – after all, CJS staff are advocates for the system as a whole, with the potential to increase confidence through the messages they communicate to members of the public.

Several key events and anniversaries are happening in 2009 and will be integral to this year’s Inside Justice Week.rnrnThese are the new court opening in Salisbury and the 170th anniversary of Wiltshire Police.

So far, the Inside Justice Week planning group has approved a staff engagement conference, a You Be The Judge event, a cross–agency mobile exhibition to target harder–to–reach communities, and an open event for the public and CJS staff at Erlestoke Prison.

Wiltshire Criminal Justice Board members have agreed also to take part in Unpaid Work during the week.

Unpaid Work, which involves convicted offenders completing projects such as gardening, landscaping, painting and minor building as part of their sentencing, will be a general focus for Wiltshire Probation throughout Inside Justice Week this year.rnrnStaff plan to suggest three projects in one part of Wiltshire that need completing and invite members of the public to vote on which one should be worked on first.

The theme of community prosecutors, as highlighted in the Engaging Communities Green Paper consultation, will also be promoted during Inside Justice Week.

A newsletter detailing the programme of activities is going to be circulated to all criminal justice agency staff in Wiltshire and Swindon. We will shortly be updating our website with a full timetable of events.

In the meantime, please go to http://insidejustice.cjsonline.gov.uk/ for more information about the national campaign.

Alternatively, call WCJB Communications Officer Chloe Boyce on 01225 781216.

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