Councils seek role in work with offenders

The Local Government Association has called for a greater role
for councils in the government’s proposals to tackle
reoffending.

The LGA said it was disappointed that councils were “ignored” in
the Management of Offenders and Sentencing Bill currently going
through parliament.

An LGA report published this month finds that only 3 per cent of
councils were notified about all releases of offenders in their
local area by the prison or probation service.

It also reveals that 84 per cent of councils said they wanted to
be consulted on the design of community sentences.

The report identifies a lack of funding and poor communication
between agencies dealing with offenders as preventing councils from
offering support.

The LGA cited youth offending teams as a model of how councils
could take a leadership role to co-ordinate the work of local
partners in supporting offenders returning to their
communities.

 

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