Latest news with #LordTimpson
BBC News
7 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Judge-supervised drug treatment sentences expanded
More criminals will get drug and alcohol treatment under the close supervision of a judge as a new type of sentence is will meet a judge weekly or monthly after being sentenced, to monitor their progress in what are known as Intensive Supervision Courts, modelled on a similar system of "problem-solving courts" in can still send offenders to prison if they stop complying with the order, and ministers acknowledge the option is only appropriate for a carefully-selected expansion is the first of a series of new measures being rolled out after a landmark sentencing review to tackle to prison overcrowding. Prisons Minister Lord Timpson told the BBC: "This is often tougher than going to prison."They're having to work every day to prove that they're not taking drugs, they're not drinking, and they are going through all the courses that we're putting them through."Pilot schemes of the system were introduced by the last Conservative government, but are seen by the Labour government as an important part of the future of sentencing. Lord Timpson said he was "clear that it's working, so we want to roll it out".Crown Court judges will be tasked with meeting the offenders under the new News was allowed to sit in on a hearing, which would normally be in private, taking place at one of the pilot schemes in Bristol Crown Court, Judge Moira Macmillan was reviewing the case of 28-year-old Kane Lawrenson. Lawrenson narrowly avoided prison in April after pleading guilty to using violence to secure entry. Instead, he was sentenced to a two-year intensive programme designed to stop him using has to see the judge regularly so she can check on his progress with his probation officer and his drugs time, he had received a very positive report and the judge was full of praise for him. "It's incredibly impressive," Judge Macmillan told him. "It's brilliant to see you looking so well."Much of the hearing was a one-to-one conversation between the judge and Lawrenson in which they maintained eye contact and often said he had occasionally slipped up in the last month but had managed 14 days completely clean. He added: "I'm feeling the most positive I have for years."The judge, who did not wear a wig for the relatively informal hearing, said "everyone has bumps in the road" and encouraged him to start thinking about his future. She said she did not need to see him again for four is all in stark contrast to Lawrenson's last seven years, in which he has been sent to prison four times. All of his offences - from reckless driving to supplying class A drugs - were linked to his own drug use. After his Intensive Supervision Court hearing, Lawrenson said he was in a "10 times better" place now than he was just a few months ago - when he was "pretty much using every single day"."I'm really excited for the future, to be honest."No longer am I waking up looking to see if there's a plate with residue on it, looking to see who can I get more off, or whatever. "Now I'm waking up thinking, right, let's have me protein shake. Let's have me bowl of oats. What gym am I going to?"Every day I can go to sleep and think, 'you've actually made something productive out of the day'. Like, 'you ain't just sat there sniffing line after line after line.'"A recent evaluation of the pilot schemes in Liverpool, Teeside and Birmingham found that convicted criminals with significant addiction issues on the schemes were receiving a clean drug test two-thirds of the time. The Ministry of Justice says this is "clear evidence that the model is working. "Asked about the extra money that the pilot schemes had cost, Lord Timpson said this had to be considered against "£53,000 a year for someone to be in prison". "That's an awful lot of money. "What we need to do is to make sure we can invest in certain offenders now, to make sure they don't spend years in prison and create further victims in the future."Zara McKee, who is Lawrenson's advanced recovery practitioner, said there was real evidence that people were offending less while on the scheme."Whether that be because they do feel there's more people kind of keeping a close kind of eye on them, so be it. "But I do think more of that is because they feel supported, and they are more genuinely inclined to want to make changes."
Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Fraudster given a second chance with prison charity is jailed ... after she stole £300,000 from its coffers and boasted it was 'easy money'
A convicted fraudster who boasted that she made 'easy money' stealing from Lord Timpson's prison reform charity has been jailed. Samantha O'Sullivan was sentenced to more than three years for stealing over £307,000 from the Prison Reform Trust (PRT) after the charity, which prides itself in offering second chances, knowingly employed the convicted fraudster as head of finance and human resources. The organisation, which was then run by Lord Timpson before he became prisons minister, failed to notice missing money within weeks of promoting O'Sullivan, who duped bosses into signing off 171 fraudulent invoices and expenses so she could jet around the globe on holiday. Kingston Crown Court heard yesterday that the single mother lived an 'opulent lifestyle' for seven years, splashing out on five-star holidays to destinations including Cape Verde, Dubai, Lisbon, Barcelona and Split with the stolen cash. She plundered charity donations to pay for hotel stays, beauty salon treatments, designer clothes and rental properties. Meanwhile, the 57-year-old was celebrated by the charity as the very model of a reformed prisoner after claiming she had turned her life around. O'Sullivan had previously been jailed for theft in December 2013 after she preyed on the destitute during her role as deputy official receiver of Croydon, responsible for managing bankruptcy assets in the region. The then-civil servant stole £85,000 from those facing bankruptcy who had to sell their homes to pay back their debt, not knowing she was secretly pocketing their cheques under the counter to pay for lavish holidays. After her release from a year-long sentence, O'Sullivan got a job at the PRT in 2016 which had been prepared to overlook her conviction when it was portrayed as a one-off mistake in an otherwise unblemished 20-year financial career. Prosecutor Edward Franklin said O'Sullivan effectively almost doubled her salary by getting a total of 171 fraudulent invoices and fake expense claims paid into her bank accounts, which were signed off by unsuspecting bosses at a rate of one every other week. O'Sullivan duped Lord Timpson and trustees, including former Justice Secretary David Gauke and ex-Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Nigel Newcomen who were responsible for 'taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud', according to charity records. When she was eventually caught in an internal audit last year, O'Sullivan claimed it was 'easy money', according to a pre-sentence report. But yesterday she denied this, claiming she had only admitted the fraud was not sophisticated. Apologising for her 'horrible secret', she said: 'I'm ashamed and remorseful for what I have done.' O'Sullivan told the court she had been open about her past when she was employed, but found her role in the spotlight 'difficult'. She said: 'They gave me a chance and I did not set out to betray that trust that was given to me. 'I found the work was difficult, some people resented me, I was often under the spotlight as a reformed prisoner. 'I made terrible decision after terrible decision by somehow thinking I could make up for past mistakes by making new ones.' O'Sullivan claimed some of the cash was blown on her children's student rent, but when asked where the money had gone, she answered: 'I do not know.' Jailing her for three years and eight months, Judge Simon Heptonstall said O'Sullivan had a significant detrimental effect on the charity, with the missing money adding up to more than the organisation received in gifts and donations last year. 'These were treats for yourself and others, you took money away from a deserving charity,' he told O'Sullivan. 'It became a habit. You recognised it was something that was easy to do.' Pia Sinha, chief executive of the PRT, said: 'Miss O'Sullivan's actions represent an egregious breach of trust, which has been reflected in the sentence handed down today. 'Over the course of eight years, Miss O'Sullivan deliberately set out to defraud the charity of its funds, stealing money that was intended to support the 88,000 people in prison we serve. 'PRT has also reflected on the lessons it needs to learn from this sad episode. We continue to believe in giving people second chances, but this must always be done responsibly and with appropriate safeguards in place.'
BBC News
18-07-2025
- BBC News
'Cockroach-infested' Pentonville Prison illegally detains inmates
A cockroach-infested prison that illegally detained inmates for longer than their release date in "frightening conditions" has been put into special inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor served an urgent notification on HMP Pentonville in Islington, north London, after an inspection discovered many inmates had been kept there after they should have been freed because staff "failed to calculate sentences accurately".The watchdog said data showed 130 inmates, 20% of those eligible for release, had been held after their release date in the past six Minister for Prisons, Lord Timpson, said: "The team is already working to urgently address the concerns raised." "We will publish an action plan in the coming weeks to support them in these efforts," he said. 'Shocking failures' The watchdog also found 10 inmates had been released early "in error" between July 2024 and June a letter to the justice secretary, the chief inspector said arrangements for new prisoners' induction and first night at the jail were "chaotic and even frightening".Men were held in dirty cells missing bedding, furniture, telephones and pillows, the watchdog said, while the majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a report also said 60% of prisoners at the Category B prison were sharing cells that were designed for one person, and there was a widespread infestation of mice and took emergency action after they found oversight of prisoners under constant supervision was "shockingly poor". One prison officer was found asleep, two were reading books and another was "completely absent".The "unacceptable practices" in the care of prisoners under constant supervision was a particular concern for inspectors, given that there were three suicides at the jail in 2025. 'Rallying cry' Mr Taylor said: "Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years."Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to effect change."Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders."He added: "The governor will need significant support and investment from HM Prison and Probation Service to strengthen his senior leadership team, refocus on the basics and put in place effective oversight and assurance systems to turn this failing prison around." Pentonville is the 10th prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November response to the chief inspector's findings, a Prison Reform Trust spokesperson said: "This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action – fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity."Lord Timpson added: "This government will end the chaos we inherited in our jails. We are building 14,000 new prison places and reforming sentencing so our jails reduce reoffending, cut crime and keep victims safe."
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Minister denies Labour 'strung along' by UK on youth justice
Work is underway looking at the devolution of probation and youth justice, the Welsh government's senior legal advisor has insisted after a UK minister played down the minister Lord Timpson said on Monday it was not "a priority" to devolve either probation or youth General Julie James said a more senior minister has authorised officials to work on the "beginnings" of the devolution of youth justice - and she said devolution was not in Lord Timpson's Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said Lord Timpson's comments amounted to "paternalism". The Welsh government has been calling for criminal justice to be devolved for some is the only nation with its own parliament which shares a legal jurisdiction with England - with policing, the courts and prisons all the responsibility of Westminster and not Cardiff Labour has not agreed to full devolution of criminal justice but has said it would explore giving the Welsh government powers over youth justice and probation, promising that in its general election who call for a transfer of powers argue it would mean that prisons and probation can be better integrated with devolved services, or could allow ministers to change policies to make Welsh government has commissioned work from the Wales Centre on Public Policy on probation devolution, and from former north Wales chief constable Carl Monday Prisons Minister Lord Timpson told a Senedd committee that handing control over of either was not a "priority" while the criminal justice system was in "crisis".One Labour backbench MS said Lord Timpson's comments had been "pretty appalling".Blaenau Gwent MS Alun Davies described Lord Timpson on social media network X as an "unelected peer telling our parliament what powers we are allowed to hold". Devolution process 'not in remit' In the Senedd on Tuesday Adam Price asked Julie James if Wales was "being patronised by Westminster"."I don't agree with that characterisation at all," James said Huw Irranca-Davies, the deputy first minister, had "an extremely good meeting with the Lord Chancellor", Shabana Mahmood, "in which she authorised officials to work together on the beginnings of the steps for the the devolution of youth justice".James said an official had been appointed as a "head of youth justice devolution", and meetings on probation were said Lord Timpson had done "an enormous amount of work on the absolute shambles the Conservative government left the court and prison system"."To be fair to him, the devolution process is not within his remit," she said."The manifesto of the UK government said that it would explore the devolution of youth justice and probation, and we are doing that."I am confident that we will get the steps towards that that we expected in this first year and a bit of the UK Labour government, and I'm sure that that journey will continue." Price said in a statement: "Every commission - Silk, Thomas - has reached the same conclusion. Justice powers must align with devolved services. Scotland governs its own justice system with distinction, Northern Ireland shapes its own path with pride, Wales alone is told to wait."After one full year of supposed partnership, we have no draft legislation, no target date for the transfer of power, no outline budget with which to plan, and now we have Labour themselves saying no. This isn't partnership - it's paternalism." The first minister Eluned Morgan said things were "edging" forward on youth justice and probation.A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We have had productive discussions with the UK government on youth justice and probation and we are exploring options where responsibilities in the youth justice system could be realigned. "The deputy first minister will update the Senedd on developments in this area soon."
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Not priority to devolve probation says UK minister
A UK government minister has been accused of pouring "cold water" on the prospect of the Welsh government taking control over probation and youth justice. The Labour-led Cardiff administration has been pushing for further devolution on criminal justice - calls that Westminster colleagues have promised to consider. But Prisons Minister Lord Timpson has told a committee in the Welsh Parliament it is not "a priority" while the criminal justice system is "in crisis". Labour MS Jenny Rathbone said the comments were very disappointing. Lord Timpson says the criminal justice system faced "huge pressures" and there needed to be "stability" before "further changes" were considered. Senedd should not get control of police: Labour MP Westminster to keep policing under Labour plans Under the system of devolution established in 1999, the Senedd and Welsh government have never had control over criminal law. Various reports, including one from the former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, have called for more devolution on criminal justice including youth justice and the probation service. Last summer's Welsh Labour manifesto said the party would "explore" the devolution of probation "to enable them to be more locally responsive". It was planned as part of a strategic review into probation and added it would "consider" the devolution of youth justice. Speaking to the Senedd's equality and social justice committee, the Prisons' Minister Lord Timpson told MSs that "we need to be in a much more stable position before we can think about further changes". Mick Antoniw, the former chief legal adviser to the Welsh Government, says there are "volumes of evidence" that devolution of probation "needs to happen and quickly". The Labour former counsel general told the committee that there was "no logical response to that other than we've had a decade of delay on actually looking at the enormous accumulation of evidence". Questioning Lord Timpson, he said: "What you seem to be suggesting is that we are going to go through that process of just continually looking at the evidence without ever really coming to a proper conclusion." Former Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price added: "Are you ruling out for the foreseeable future the full devolution of executive and legislative powers?". Lord Timpson said he wanted to "stabilise" a "bruised" service but added: "I'm not ruling anything out, I'm not ruling anything in. "What I'm focused on is trying to sort out the crisis in our justice system." After the meeting committee chair, Labour MS for Cardiff Central, Jenny Rathbone said the committee was "very disappointed". "The Welsh government has already started the groundwork to prepare because it believed there was a realistic prospect that these aspects could be devolved soon," she said. "This is in stark contrast to Lord Timpson's evidence before the Committee today which seemed to pour cold water on the prospect."
