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National Probation Service

Bulletin
Issue 55 11 May 2007

The Bulletin has been improved for easier on-screen reading. It now summaries new content placed on Epic
(http://npsintranet.probation.gsi.gov.uk/index.htm) in the previous week and significant messages that have been
circulated on the Chief Officer gateway. Articles can now be read by either scrolling down the page or by clicking the
titles below:

095/07 Ministry of Justice - Launch

096/07 Ministry of Justice – Publications
097/07 Quality of completion of OASys assessments
098/07 Butler Trust Awards - Closing Date 31 May
099/07 New Community Sentences Digest (Centre for Crime and Justice Studies)
100/07 Issued Recently

095/07 MINISTRY OF JUSTICE - LAUNCH

The National Offender Management Service transfered from the Home Office to the newly created Ministry of Justice
as part of wide-reaching machinery of government changes on 9 May. The changes – which sees NOMS HQ, the
Office for Criminal Justice Reform and the former Department for Constitutional Affairs coming together –establish
the Ministry of Justice in England and Wales.

The new ministry will have responsibility for the courts, sentencing, prisons, rehabilitation of offenders, plus DCA
policies like voting, crown dependencies, human rights, tribunals and freedom of information.

Senior figures in the Ministry of Justice, including Lord Falconer as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for
Justice and the Permanent Secretary (the civil servant responsible for the Ministry) have been on a programme of
tours to probation areas including London, Nottinghamshire, Avon and Somerset, Kent and North Wales.

www.justice.gov.uk
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096/07 MINISTRY OF JUSTICE - PUBLICATIONS

Two publications were launched on the on 9 May to coincide with the launch of the new Ministry.

1 – Justice: A New Approach This is a 27 page strategic document confirming the responsibilities held by the new
ministry and outlining the six objectives around which its work will be structured. They are: Reducing reoffending
and protecting the public; Promoting justice; Providing access to justice; Increasing confidence in justice; Upholding
human, information and democratic rights and; Safeguarding and modernising the constitutional arrangements.

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May 2007

2 – Penal Policy – a background paper This document is in three parts covering (i) estates strategy and sentencing,
(ii) community sentences and (iii) commissioning.

Both documents are available to download from Epic.

Navigate from Home>News & Comms>News>Launch of the Ministry of Justice
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097/07 QUALITY OF COMPLETION OF OASYS ASSESSMENTS

Documents presenting findings from the OASys Data Evaluation and Analysis Team’s (O-DEAT), and quality-
monitoring of completed OASys assessments from the second quarter of 2006-2007 have been published.

Sent to Chief Officers via the Chief Officer Gateway – 9 May 2007

Epic: Navigate from Home>Service Delivery>Offender Management>OASys and Assessment

Email: Mia.Debidin@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

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098/07 BUTLER TRUST AWARDS – CLOSING DATE 31 MAY

The closing date for applications for 2008 Butler Trust Awards is May 31 2007. Nomination packs for probation areas
are available from the Butler Trust.

To request a paper or digital copy, please contact the

Butler Trust
Howard House
32-34 The High Street
Croydon
CR0 1YB

Tel: 020 8688 6062

Fax: 020 8688 6056
Email: info@thebutlertrust.org.uk

Applications can also be downloaded from: www.thebutlertrust.org.uk

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Issue 55 UNCLASSIFIED NPS Bulletin

May 2007
 Issue 55 UNCLASSIFIED NPS Bulletin
May 2007

099/07 NEW COMMUNITY SENTENCES DIGEST (CENTRE FOR CRIME AND JUSTICE
STUDIES)

This digest, published 9 May 2007, brings together published and previously unpublished material around community
sentences. It is intended to provide reliable and easily accessible information for those working in or with an interest
in probation, offender management or the wider Criminal Justice System.

Coming from an organisation that has been traditionally concentrated on prison reform, the digest is a welcome
analysis of community sentences in their own right, not simply as 'alternatives to custody'. However, as a
consequence, it does bring into focus issues that, although well-debated for custody, as less well understood for
probation, such as the death-rate while under supervision (including suicide), mental health needs and operational
capacity.

A further CCJS digest on young adults under supervision is likely to be published in July.

Sent to Chief Officers via the Chief Officers Gateway – 11 May 2007

Epic: Navigate from Home>News & Comms>News>Community Services Digest

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100/07 ISSUED RECENTLY

Probation Circulars 2007:

PC07 Introduction of New Service Level Agreement for 2007-08 between NOMS and Langley Issued 30 March
House Trust

PC08 Implementation of Accredited Offending Behaviour Programme Performance Issued 3 April

Improvement Standards (please see item above on amendments to annexes and
changes in deadlines for submitting audit results).

PC09 Definition of Programme Completions for Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes Issued 20 April

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Bulletins are posted on the Epic Intranet http://npsintranet.probation.gsi.gov.uk/index.htm (navigate from

Home>News & Comms>Newsletters>Bulletins) and the NPS Website www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk,
(navigate from Home>News & Updates>Bulletins)

Issued by the NOMS Communications Unit

Issue 55 UNCLASSIFIED NPS Bulletin

May 2007