A Single Inspectorate for Justice, Community Safety and Custody
21 Nov 2005
The single inspectorate aims to reduce the administrative burden on staff and free them up to deliver front line services to the public. The inspectorate will create a storehouse of expertise from the current inspectorates, sharing best practice in independent inspection and driving up standards across the system.
Independent inspection in the criminal justice system plays an essential role in improving services and holding organisations to account for their standards of service and treatment of individuals. In recent years the criminal justice system has undergone reform to deliver improvements to public services and to help reduce crime and re-offending. It is now essential that those improvements in services are matched by a modern inspection regime.
Home Office Minister Fiona Mactaggart said:
"The blueprint we have published today offers a unique opportunity to create an inspection regime that covers the criminal justice process from end to end - to make sure we provide a rigorous improved system for all those who come into contact with it.
"I would like to thank everyone who responded to the single inspectorate consultation - those responses have helped us to deliver an inspectorate that will broaden the focus of inspection across criminal justice agencies but without compromising standards or the robustness of inspections.
"The single inspectorate outlined today will build on the excellent work the five justice inspectorates have done in driving up performance. The new inspectorate will have a general duty to inspect and report on the functioning of the justice system and the delivery by the bodies within it of their duties relating to wider community safety.
"In addition to this general duty, the single inspectorate will have a special duty to inspect and report on the treatment and conditions of those in custody.
"The criminal justice reforms of the last few years have made improvements in policing and community safety, public prosecution, court administration and offender management. It will be the job of the inspection regime to help guarantee these improvements for victims, witnesses and everyone else who comes into contact with the criminal justice system."