The workings of the justice system
A new (11 February 2022) guide from Clinks “Navigating the criminal justice system” does a great job of helping people in the voluntary sector (and anyone else for that matter) understand how the criminal justice system is organised and how it works. The guide which is designed using Clinks now very recognisable colour palette is easy to follow and is best viewed full screen. As you can see from the some of graphics reproduced below, it covers everything you’d want it to. In addition to the different government agencies at every stage of the CJS, there is also important information about inspectors & regulators, local and regional structures and a separate look at the youth justice system.
Comprehensive
The guide is concise (23 pages) but comprehensive, covering all the key milestones and responsible agencies throughout the criminal justice system, while still finding time to flag up emerging areas of interest through hyperlinks to official and other sites. Problem solving courts, Community Sentence Treatment Requirements, IPPs, prison categories and the Probation Service Dynamic Framework are among these useful links.
Uses
There are lots of obvious uses to which the guide can be put. I’m sure many professionals will save it in a resources folder so that they can check (or cut and paste!) the definition of an Out of Court Disposal or the list of requirements which can be added to a Community Sentence. The guides would also make great hand-outs to criminology and social work students and helpful resources for partner organisations who work with people in contact with the CJS on issues such as housing, employment or health.
You can download the guide for free here.
