Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 21
21
The Department told us that having good data across the criminal justice system is a...
Conclusion
The Department told us that having good data across the criminal justice system is a crucial first step in achieving the right outcomes and bringing the courts backlog down. In December 2021, the Department published two scorecards—one covering all crime and one covering adult rape—that bring together data on performance across the criminal justice system, including on the size of the backlog, timeliness and victim attrition. The Department said that through publishing these data it is seeking to improve transparency and assess what is happening within each part of the system, for example where victims are most likely to withdraw from the process.41 It is also planning to publish local scorecards at the level of individual police forces, and acknowledged it needs to be careful 31 Q41 32 Q39 33 Q42 34 Q42 35 Qq27–32 36 The Bar Council (RBC0007) 37 Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire (RBC0004), The London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (RBC0005), Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (RBC0006) 38 Q38 39 Q26 40 Qq38, 49 41 Qq22, 33 Reducing the backlog in criminal courts 13 that publishing and using these data does not threaten the operational independence of the police, Crown Prosecution Service or judiciary.42 The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners said that these data should not be used to punish partners in the criminal justice system but instead enable them to deliver improvements and share best practice.43
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2023 6.2 The first local criminal justice system scorecards for all crime and adult rape were published in March 2022, bringing together data from across the system for the first time. The scorecards will be published on a quarterly basis to increase transparency, increase understanding of the system, and support collaboration particularly at a local level. 6.3 As part of the wider programme of work on the criminal justice system, the department has recently overhauled its governance structures to increase accountability and drive forward progress in priority areas. These groups will be responsible for ensuring the scorecard is a valuable tool which will facilitate a shared cross-system understanding of progress across the system, and support collaboration both at a national and local level. 6.4 In collecting and presenting this data in one place, the government fully recognises the operational independence of those organisations which have provided data. The transparency that the scorecards offer enables collaboration by providing a cross-system view of progress, including measures that matter to victims, such as how long it takes cases to progress. 6.5 Metrics in the scorecard are grouped in priority areas aligning with the outcomes the government commits to achieve, in partnership with criminal justice system agencies: improving timeliness, increasing victim engagement and improving quality. 6.6 The department hopes to improve victim experience and reduce the number of victims dropping out of the system. The scorecards will measure, for example, the percentage of investigations that are closed because a victim withdraws support before an investigation is completed. This will allow the department to ensure that victims are supported in the best possible way whilst they engage with the criminal justice system. 6.7 The department will use the data in the scorecard to identify and understand disparities across local and regional areas, enabling the sharing of best practice to help local criminal justice agencies drive improvements. 6.8 The scorecards represent a transformative change to the way data is used to ensure a common understanding of the criminal justice system. The department has ambitious plans to significantly improve the quality of data, and is currently developing better metrics to measure progress, especially around victim experience. The scorecards are iterative and will be improved as further insights are gained on the indicators which best reflect the whole system.