Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Deferred
Paragraph: 132
Publish outcomes of Bail Information Service pilot and expand provision to all magistrates' courts.
Recommendation
There should be more consistent provision of Bail Information Services in courts to give decision-makers greater confidence in the bail package being presented to them. We recommend that the outcomes of the current pilot relating to these services are published, and that the service should then be scaled up so that it is available in all magistrates’ courts if it is proven to help in putting together effective bail packages.
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing the provision of Community Accommodation Service Tier 2 (CAS-2) beds, particularly for women, and the use of Approved Premises and electronic monitoring, without addressing the requested publication of Bail Information Service pilot outcomes or its planned scaling.
Paragraph Reference:
132
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
We accept this recommendation. The contractual requirement in the Community Accommodation Service Tier 2 (CAS- 2) for 10% of bed spaces to be reserved for women continues to apply to total bed spaces after the 300 bed expansion. A minimum of 85 beds of the 850 total beds after expansion will therefore always be provided for women, however the service currently provides above this number. As at December 2022, 597 CAS-2 beds were in service, of which 101 were designated for female use only (17%). We review the demand for female beds monthly and have flexibility in the contract to vary the number of female beds according to demand. CAS-2 continues to work with the female prison estate and the Bail Information Service to generate referrals to CAS-2. Additionally, whilst Approved Premises are largely used for supporting individuals on release from prison, they can also be used to supervise those on bail who meet the referral criteria. For high risk bailees and/or those who require a greater level of supervision, Approved Premises can provide a secure temporary accommodation placement. Approved Premises can provide a particularly beneficial bail option for women as the criteria for female Approved Premises includes medium risk with complex needs (as opposed to male Approved Premises of high risk). Across the estate there is a total of nine female Approved Premises, providing 165 beds. Approved Premises are staffed 24 hours per day and provide enhanced supervision and rehabilitative support. As set out in our response to recommendation 20, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service electronic monitoring (EM) Business Change and Stakeholder Engagement team engages with stakeholders, the judiciary and wider court teams to raise awareness of the full range of EM capabilities and to increase understanding of how they can be used effectively. Although a suitable address is required when imposing EM (for equipment purposes), the flexibility of the technology to support alternative accommodation options when CAS-2 or Approved Premises are not available is being addressed through this engagement. Data and technology