20 July 2012

Revolving Doors Agency report on PCCs, complex needs and young adults

News and events

First Generation Project

 

The Revolving Doors Agency (RDA) ‘First Generation project’ aims to inform and influence candidates standing for the police and crime commissioner (PCC) elections to be held on 15 November 2012. The project is funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, and will involve working closely with the Transition to Adulthood Alliance (T2A) to make the case for improved responses locally to the revolving doors group and young adults in contact with the criminal justice system.

 

The election of PCCs represents a unique opportunity to influence a powerful local decision maker. The new PCCs will be responsible for:

 

  • Setting local policing priorities as part of a police and crime plan
  • Holding the Chief Constable to account
  • Working in partnership to prevent and reduce crime, and improve community safety
  • Setting the local policing and community safety budget
  • Engaging with their local community, improving local relationships and building trust.

 

The PCC’s responsibility for wider crime reduction in their local area provides an opportunity to work creatively at a local level, encouraging and strengthening partnerships, linking with health and other community-based services, and reducing repeat reoffending.

 

The project began with a research phase, which included discussions with a range of stakeholders, three expert roundtables and consultations with RDA’s service user forum as well as desk based research. This has culminated in the production of a background paper, which outlines the impact of the revolving doors and T2A groups on local communties and the police, while providing a detailed analysis of the legislation which considers the opportunities and concerns posed by the reform.

 

A copy of the background paper is available here.

 

This analysis will form the backdrop to our ongoing influencing work. RDA aims to use its knowledge of what works for these groups to provide resources and information for PCC candidates. As part of this, RDA will produce two briefings for all PCC candidates: one making the case for prioritizing the revolving doors grouplocally and another T2A briefing making the case to PCCs for a distinct approach to young adults.

 

Overall, the project aims to ensure that incoming PCCs across the country are aware of the issues faced by the revolving doors group and young adults in contact with the criminal justice system, and to gain commitment from candidates to tackle these issues locally as part of their responsibility to reduce crime in their force area.