As the Chancellor prepares to deliver his maiden Autumn Budget, Alex Mayes – Victim Support’s Head of External Affairs and Media – explains why the Government must not miss this opportunity to tackle the crisis facing our criminal justice system.
For far too long, investment in the criminal justice system has failed to keep pace with the challenges it faces.
Last year, day-to-day Justice spending was below pre-austerity levels in real-terms and, once population growth is taken into account, is lower than it was more than two decades ago. Years of underinvestment have left victims and survivors facing the consequences of a system struggling – and failing – to meet rising demand.
Victims and survivors see the impact of this every single day. Court backlogs are leaving many waiting years for their cases to be heard – forcing them to put their lives on hold while the wheels of justice turn at a snail’s pace. For many, the wait simply becomes too much and they disengage from the justice process altogether. Justice delayed is becoming justice denied.
Meanwhile, the courts that will eventually hear their cases are crumbling. Our Witness Service staff and volunteers see first-hand the dire condition of many court buildings – from leaky roofs and outdated facilities to failing technology. The Government itself estimates that the maintenance backlog stands at £1.3 billion.
Funding and investment promised alongside the Government’s Courts and Tribunals Bill are welcome – but the pressures extend far beyond the courtroom. Overcrowded prisons have led to measures such as the early release scheme, with victims once again bearing the brunt of a lack of investment elsewhere in the system. At the same time, probation services are increasingly stretched by growing demands on their time and resources. What’s needed, urgently, is a holistic review of this fragmented criminal justice system – and bold, ambitious action to fix it from root to branch.
All the while, victims’ services, like those Victim Support’s teams deliver across England and Wales, are stepping in to fill the gaps left by wider system pressures, supporting victims as they navigate a criminal justice system in crisis. But they too are being asked to do more with less, with funding having stagnated for years as costs and demand continue to rise. Meanwhile, the planned abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners, who fund local services for victims and survivors, means further uncertainty on the horizon.
This week’s Budget is an opportunity for the Government to act. A properly funded criminal justice system is not optional. Effective administration of justice is a core plank of a functioning democratic society where people’s rights and the rule of law are protected. Victims need swift access to justice, safe and functioning courts, agencies that consistently deliver their rights and independent support services backed by sufficient, sustainable and multi-year funding.
That is the real test of this Budget: whether it addresses this crisis head-on and delivers the long-term investment needed to build a justice system that works for victims, survivors and witnesses – rather than asking them to continue paying the price for its failures.
* Anyone affected by, or concerned they may be affected by, changes to prisoner release dates can contact our Offender Release Helpline on 0808 168 9280, for free, specialist and independent support.