Persistent Offenders

HC Deb 15 March 2004 vol 419 cc141-2W

Mr. Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to reduce persistent offending through targeting prolific offenders in(a)Ribble Valley and Fulwood and(b)Lancashire in each of the last five years; and whether such schemes are being trialled. [156636]

Paul Goggins

There are a number of initiatives to tackle persistent offenders in Ribble Valley, Fulwood and throughout Lancashire, which support the aims of the national Persistent Offender Scheme.

One such initiative is Operation Outmost. This is a trial cross-border police operation involving staff from Lancashire, North Yorkshire and British Transport Police. It targets persistent offenders who operate in rural areas such as Ribble Valley.

The Preston Tower Project, which covers Fullwood, was launched in 2002. It is an initiative targeting prolific offenders with drug addiction. In the area covered by the project there has been a 19 per cent. reduction in burglary (dwellings) and a 42 per cent. Reduction in vehicle crime in the last 11 months. Other areas of Lancashire already have or are developing similar projects.

The Jigsaw Project, is a resettlement project that engages with 100 persistent offenders in Lancashire aged between 18 and 20-years-old. The project aids resettlement by linking into local drug treatment services.

In October 2003, Lord Falconer launched the North West's Prisoner Resettlement Strategy. The central purpose of the Strategy, which concentrates on persistent offenders, is to reduce crime and prevent re-offending through a co-ordinated and integrated Resettlement and Rehabilitation Strategy. Preston City Council, which covers Fulwood, is engaged in this work along with Blackburn and Darwen Councils.

An Intensive Control and Change Programme (ICCP) targeting persistent offenders aged 18 to 20year-olds is running throughout Lancashire. Offenders are tagged and undergo intensive supervision during the day. They are kept off the streets by an overnight curfew.

All the other schemes except Operation Outmost are fully operational.