Criminal Justice BoardThe Essex Criminal Justice Board sits at the centre of the Criminal Justice System in the county and aims to make sure Essex remains one of the safest counties in England and Wales for those who live, work and visit here.
The Criminal Justice Board brings together in partnership the chief officers from each of the core Criminal Justice Agencies and has responsibility for overseeing and delivering criminal justice services across the county. It covers the administrative areas of Essex County Council and the unitary authorities of Southend and Thurrock.
Core Justice Agencies in Essex include Essex Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty's Courts Service, Essex Probation and Her Majesty's Prison Service.
Information about these agencies can be found using the links below or on the DirectGov website using the link to local crime and justice.
Information on crime and criminal justice related issues used to be available on the Essex Criminal Justice Board's website but can now be found on the DirectGov website too.
The DirectGov website has information about the police including your rights if arrested, types of crime, crime prevention; reporting crime and anti-social behaviour, going to court (including serving as a juror), help for victims and witnesses, sentencing, prison and probation; crime statistics; the judicial system and counter terrorism.
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal prosecuting agency in England and Wales. It provides charging advice to the police and prosecutes cases in magistrates' and crown courts.
To find out more about how the CPS works, and for the latest news on successful prosecutions in Essex, visit its website.
Her Majesty's Courts Service
Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice with a remit to deliver justice effectively and efficiently.
In England and Wales HMCS is responsible for managing magistrates’ courts; crown courts; county courts; the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Tribunals Service.
To find out more about HMCS visit its website.
Essex Probation
Essex Probation works with offenders from first court appearance to completion of sentence to protect the public and reduce re-offending.
They do this by delivering the sentences of the courts through credible and effective community punishments, including a range of programmes to change offending behaviour.
To find out more about the work of Essex Probation, and to find out how you can get involved in deciding on unpaid work projects that offenders can carry out in your local area, visit its website.
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty’s Prison Service is responsible for holding prisoners securely, either while on remand before conviction, or following sentence.
In addition to protecting the public by holding prisoners securely, HMPS is charged with reducing the risk of prisoners re-offending by delivering a range of interventions and programmes to address the issues that contribute to their offending behaviour.
To find out more about the work of Her Majesty’s Prison Service visit its website.
Youth Offending Teams
Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) are multi-agency partnerships aiming to prevent offending by children and young people. This is achieved by working together with young people, their parents or carers, the victims of crime and other agencies or organisations, including the local community.
In Essex there are Youth Offending Teams covering the Essex County Council area and information on their work can be found at http://www.essex.gov.uk/, for Southend at www.southend.gov.uk and for Thurrock at www.thurrock.gov.uk.
Victim Support
Victim Support is an independent charity that aims to help all victims and witnesses of crime. Its services are free of charge and completely confidential.
Victim Support works closely with the Police and other criminal justice agencies, working on referrals from them, but you can contact Victim Support for help if you’ve been a victim of a crime, even if the crime has not been reported to the police.
Victim Support also runs the Witness Service in every criminal court, to help people who have been called as witnesses.
To find out more about the work of Victim Support, or to volunteer with them, visit the charity's website.
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) aims to end cruelty to children in the UK by: campaigning for children’s rights and welfare; raising public awareness around issues relating to child abuse; running services for children, young people and their families; raising funds to maintain these services.
The NSPCC accepts referrals from criminal justice agencies to support young victims of crime who are required to give evidence in courts. To find out more visit the NSPCC's website.
Legal Services Commission
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) runs the legal aid scheme in England and Wales and helps people in need receive high quality legal advice, assistance and representation.
To find out more visit the commission's website.
Community Safety Partnerships
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) are statutory bodies bringing together representatives of local authorities, the emergency services, health authorities, housing associations and other statutory and voluntary organisations to address crime and anti-social behaviour in your local community.
In the administrative areas covered Essex County Council there are 12 Community Safety Partnerships:
Braintree: www.braintree.gov.uk;
Brentwood: www.brentwood.gov.uk;
Castle Point: www.castlepoint.gov.uk;
Chelmsford: www.chelmsford.gov.uk;
Colchester: www.colchester-community-safety.org.uk;
Epping Forest: www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk;
Harlow: www.saferharlow.info;
Maldon: www.maldon.gov.uk;
Rochford: www.rochford.gov.uk;
Tendring: http://www.tendringcsp.co.uk/;
Uttlesford: www.uttlesford.gov.uk.
There are also Community Safety Partnerships in both the unitary authority areas of Southend and Thurrock:
Southend: www.southendcdrp.co.uk;
Thurrock: www.thurrock.gov.uk/safety;
The Criminal Justice Board brings together in partnership the chief officers from each of the core Criminal Justice Agencies and has responsibility for overseeing and delivering criminal justice services across the county. It covers the administrative areas of Essex County Council and the unitary authorities of Southend and Thurrock.
Core Justice Agencies in Essex include Essex Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty's Courts Service, Essex Probation and Her Majesty's Prison Service.
Information about these agencies can be found using the links below or on the DirectGov website using the link to local crime and justice.
Information on crime and criminal justice related issues used to be available on the Essex Criminal Justice Board's website but can now be found on the DirectGov website too.
The DirectGov website has information about the police including your rights if arrested, types of crime, crime prevention; reporting crime and anti-social behaviour, going to court (including serving as a juror), help for victims and witnesses, sentencing, prison and probation; crime statistics; the judicial system and counter terrorism.
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal prosecuting agency in England and Wales. It provides charging advice to the police and prosecutes cases in magistrates' and crown courts.
To find out more about how the CPS works, and for the latest news on successful prosecutions in Essex, visit its website.
Her Majesty's Courts Service
Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice with a remit to deliver justice effectively and efficiently.
In England and Wales HMCS is responsible for managing magistrates’ courts; crown courts; county courts; the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Tribunals Service.
To find out more about HMCS visit its website.
Essex Probation
Essex Probation works with offenders from first court appearance to completion of sentence to protect the public and reduce re-offending.
They do this by delivering the sentences of the courts through credible and effective community punishments, including a range of programmes to change offending behaviour.
To find out more about the work of Essex Probation, and to find out how you can get involved in deciding on unpaid work projects that offenders can carry out in your local area, visit its website.
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty’s Prison Service is responsible for holding prisoners securely, either while on remand before conviction, or following sentence.
In addition to protecting the public by holding prisoners securely, HMPS is charged with reducing the risk of prisoners re-offending by delivering a range of interventions and programmes to address the issues that contribute to their offending behaviour.
To find out more about the work of Her Majesty’s Prison Service visit its website.
Youth Offending Teams
Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) are multi-agency partnerships aiming to prevent offending by children and young people. This is achieved by working together with young people, their parents or carers, the victims of crime and other agencies or organisations, including the local community.
In Essex there are Youth Offending Teams covering the Essex County Council area and information on their work can be found at http://www.essex.gov.uk/, for Southend at www.southend.gov.uk and for Thurrock at www.thurrock.gov.uk.
Victim Support
Victim Support is an independent charity that aims to help all victims and witnesses of crime. Its services are free of charge and completely confidential.
Victim Support works closely with the Police and other criminal justice agencies, working on referrals from them, but you can contact Victim Support for help if you’ve been a victim of a crime, even if the crime has not been reported to the police.
Victim Support also runs the Witness Service in every criminal court, to help people who have been called as witnesses.
To find out more about the work of Victim Support, or to volunteer with them, visit the charity's website.
NSPCC
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) aims to end cruelty to children in the UK by: campaigning for children’s rights and welfare; raising public awareness around issues relating to child abuse; running services for children, young people and their families; raising funds to maintain these services.
The NSPCC accepts referrals from criminal justice agencies to support young victims of crime who are required to give evidence in courts. To find out more visit the NSPCC's website.
Legal Services Commission
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) runs the legal aid scheme in England and Wales and helps people in need receive high quality legal advice, assistance and representation.
To find out more visit the commission's website.
Community Safety Partnerships
Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) are statutory bodies bringing together representatives of local authorities, the emergency services, health authorities, housing associations and other statutory and voluntary organisations to address crime and anti-social behaviour in your local community.
In the administrative areas covered Essex County Council there are 12 Community Safety Partnerships:
Braintree: www.braintree.gov.uk;
Brentwood: www.brentwood.gov.uk;
Castle Point: www.castlepoint.gov.uk;
Chelmsford: www.chelmsford.gov.uk;
Colchester: www.colchester-community-safety.org.uk;
Epping Forest: www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk;
Harlow: www.saferharlow.info;
Maldon: www.maldon.gov.uk;
Rochford: www.rochford.gov.uk;
Tendring: http://www.tendringcsp.co.uk/;
Uttlesford: www.uttlesford.gov.uk.
There are also Community Safety Partnerships in both the unitary authority areas of Southend and Thurrock:
Southend: www.southendcdrp.co.uk;
Thurrock: www.thurrock.gov.uk/safety;