I'd love to see some of these things considered in the sentencing review! Not clear yet what the remit of that is going to be, but hopefully it will take a broad approach: problem-solving courts, deferred sentencing and prosecutions and treatment orders all offer potential solutions to CJS crisis.

Unpopular opinion: I’m not necessarily opposed to this. Real concerns magistrates’ courts will give harsher sentences. But with '000s of people in prison for months or years waiting for a trial because of the dire state of courts, this might be the lesser evil. www.theguardian.com/law/2024/oct...

Ministers to give magistrates in England and Wales more sentencing powers

Exclusive: Plan to cut backlogs by doubling maximum term from six to 12 months was tried before by Tories

“Some of us just want the printers to work,” noted one NHS hospital doctor. on.ft.com/3U7Hd7O

‘It slows everything down’: NHS doctors warn of safety risks from creaking tech

Plans to digitise health service must first tackle ‘flip a coin’ nature of equipment across UK, say medical staff

Excellent FT article on the terrible situation in criminal courts. Police not investigating and charging crime gets more attention, but the sad truth is for many crimes, the state of the courts risks making police investigations irrelevant www.ft.com/content/e111...

How the English courts reached breaking point

[FREE TO READ] A record backlog of criminal trials has left lawyers ‘drowning in cases’. Henry Mance goes in search of the answers

Community sentences are getting more attention as a key path out of the prison crisis. There’s always an emphasis on making them ‘tougher’, but what does that mean in practice? More conditions? More humiliating (eg Johnson’s high vis jackets)? Longer? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Government to consider scrapping short jail terms

Shorter sentences are among the options in a review expected to be headed by former Tory MP David Gauke.

Really interesting thread. We talk a lot about lack of capital investment hampering public service performance — and it can also increase costs.

MMmarleygmiller.bsky.socialOct 10, 2024 4:10pm

🏗️Excellent report from NIC on why it’s become so costly to build infrastructure in the UK. 1. Key reason: a lack of strategic direction. They show the UK has the most volatile public investment levels across the G7 – which has reduced the supply chain’s confidence to invest.

V good article. I’m not saying there’s no place for AI in public services, but anyone suggesting it will be ‘transformative’ in medium term has no idea just how far behind basic IT and tech is in many services. Some police stations don’t even have *USB ports*.

HWdrhannahwhite.bsky.socialOct 10, 2024 7:06am

Interesting article from @hetanshah.bsky.social on why the evangelists for AI in public services need to be taken with a dollop of salt www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024...

Tony Blair is wrong – AI will not magically solve our public services

Too many people might be left out of its revolution.

📺🕓🎧 After Sue Gray: How can Keir Starmer reset No.10? 16:00 today - tune in to this must-watch @instituteforgov.bsky.social@samfr.bsky.social@alexgathomas.bsky.social@cathhaddon.bsky.social@timdurrant.bsky.socialwww.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/sue-gr...

"Nothing off the table" when it comes to reworking the centre of govt, according to news reports. If they're after ideas, Morgan McS and co could do worse than taking a look at the @instituteforgov.bsky.socialwww.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Power with purpose: Final report of the Commission on the Centre of Government | Institute for Government

Why the centre of government has failed successive prime ministers – and seven recommendations for radical reform.

This is a very helpful overview from Scope on what’s going on with PIP and the proposed changes. One of the most misrepresented benefits out there!