Justice system starved of money, police leaders say
The PCCs, who oversee police forces in their areas, said the "buckling" justice system had "left victims in limbo".In an online statement, they wrote: "Officers are working tirelessly to arrest dangerous individuals."Too many of these cases are falling apart because courts are clogged, evidence is lost, or legal processes fail due to under-resourcing."Releasing thousands of prisoners early and proposing lighter sentences in the community may relieve pressure, but only if community supervision, rehabilitation services and offender management teams are properly funded. "Where rehabilitation is right, it must be resourced and monitored. At the moment, neither is happening to the standard the public expects."
The commissioners said 16,231 prisoners were released early in 2024 under the government's plan to ease overcrowding in jail.The number of court cases awaiting trial nearly doubled in five years to 73,105 cases in September 2024, they added.The MoJ said: "This government inherited a justice system in crisis, but we are gripping the situation and have taken immediate action."We've confirmed plans to invest £4.7bn more in prison building to make sure the public are never again put at risk by running out of prison places."This is backed by a boost of up to £700m a year by 2028-29 for probation services, and a record allocation of crown court sitting days to tackle the backlog and deliver swifter justice for victims."In a separate statement, Dorset PCC David Sidwick urged the government to change the police National Funding Formula, which he said left his county "continually at the bottom of the list".The Conservative said: "Currently, Dorset receives the second lowest amount of police grant funding of any force in England and Wales."The Home Office has been approached for comment on the funding system.
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