CRIME & JUSTICE – NIO: New public protection arrangements introduced 06/10/08 [NI]
New arrangements to manage the risk posed by the most serious offenders living in the community come into force from today, Criminal Justice Minister, Paul Goggins MP, has announced.
The new structures, outlined in statutory guidance published today as part of the Government’s commitment to improve public protection, will replace the existing MASRAM arrangements and will for the first time extend to include the risk from violent offenders.
A new multi agency public protection team has been established to manage the highest level of risk from the most dangerous sexual and violent offenders after their release from prison.
Paul Goggins said: “These new public protection measures build on existing arrangements, and will further enhance the capacity of the relevant agencies to manage the risk posed by sexual and violent offenders.
“The new public protection team, which will draw on the expertise of staff in the PSNI, Probation and Social Services, will be responsible for managing the risk posed by the small number of individuals at the highest level of risk.
“This dedicated and specialist resource is another major initiative
to strengthen the way we seek to reduce the risk from serious offenders and other potentially dangerous people in the community. It underlines our joint commitment to strengthen public protection arrangements.
“These developments will complement the introduction of the new sentencing framework and in particular the public protection sentences for those who pose a risk of serious harm to the public.They will strengthen our ability to protect the public from serious violent and sexual offenders in the community.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
The guidance on new public protection arrangements in Northern Ireland may be viewed or downloaded from the NIO website
Copies can be made available in other formats on request from:
Sexual Crime Unit
Criminal Justice Directorate
Northern Ireland Office
Massey House
Stoney Road
BELFAST
BT4 3SX
email to: [cjd.public@nio.x.gsi.gov.uk]
• The guidance is issued by the Secretary of State under Article 50 of the Criminal Justice (NI) Order 2008 and establishes new public protection arrangements to replace the current non-statutory Multi Agency Sex offender Risk Assessment and Management (MASRAM) arrangements.
• The new arrangements will be known as Public Protection Arrangements Northern Ireland (PPANI).
• This guidance, which has been prepared in consultation with the agencies listed in the Order, creates a duty on criminal justice agencies (police, probation, prisons and Youth Justice Agency), social services and others to work together and share information to more effectively assess the risk posed by certain sexual and violent offenders, and potentially dangerous persons, in the community, and to take steps to manage that risk where it is considered to be at a high enough level to require a multi agency approach.
• The guidance does not give any additional statutory powers to individual agencies or cut across existing statutory roles. It seeks to assist in maximising the effectiveness of the public protection arrangements by requiring information sharing, cooperation and multi agency working.
• The new multi agency Public Protection Team, staffed by police, probation and social services, has been established to deliver operational risk management of the highest level cases – those designated as category 3.
• The extension of the arrangements to violent offenders will be phased in. The category of violent offender included in the arrangements from 6 October is ‘someone who has been convicted of a violent offence against a child or vulnerable adult; or who has a previous conviction for same and about whom there are current significant concerns’. Further categories will be phased in at later dates (see para 2.6 of the guidance for details).
