Vital Signs North East: Justice

Community challenges

Crime and anti-social behaviour are falling across the UK. But public confidence in policing has been dented and there are staffing challenges across the criminal justice system. Levels of offences like knife crime and shoplifting are rising. A backlog of criminal cases is causing undue suffering to both victims and defendants. Overcrowded prisons can’t offer sufficient rehabilitation, and re-offending rates are too high. There are disparities in reducing crime and anti-social behaviour between regions like the South East and North East, and between more affluent and disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Problems like these are mainly for government to solve. But on crime and anti-social behaviour, prevention is better than cure – and that’s where philanthropy can make a significant contribution.

• National challenges: improving performance of and confidence in the criminal justice system; maintaining long-term downward trend in levels of crime and anti-social behaviour; reducing disparities between regions; supporting victims.
• North East England challenges: reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in areas where rates are relatively high and/or rising, including violent and knife crime, hate crime, sexual offences, domestic violence and shoplifting; reducing disparities between affluent and poorer areas; high re-offending rates.

Getting ahead of the problem:

• providing positive alternatives to young people at risk of becoming involved in crime and anti-social behaviour
• supporting vulnerable individuals
• funding areas like family mediation, conflict resolution, online safety and community-building

Helping offenders make a fresh start:

• activities to enable those leaving the criminal justice system move on to a more positive future, which also prevents more people becoming victims of repeat offences.