Hello

This week marked the first anniversary ofImmediate Justice (IJ) in Sussex - a dedicated taskforce working to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) in our communities.

Under the IJ pilot, anti-social behaviour offenders are asked to complete some form of reparative activity to make amends for the harm and damage they’ve caused to an individual or community. This can include activities such as litter-picking, graffiti cleaning, repairing damaged items or providing maintenance to public spaces.

Our IJ taskforce continues to go from strength to strength. With 174 referrals made to date, it is clear that those causing ASB in our county are being held accountable for their actions and we have many examples of offenders recognising they need to change their negative behaviours.

The IJ scheme in Sussex is seen as being one of the most successful and effective in the country and other police forces are looking at our model as they roll out their own.

I’ll be sharing more updates on some of the great work on my website and social media channels soon.

Sussex rollout national programme providing support for women in custody

Last year, my Independent Custody Visitor (ICV) scheme established a new referral pathwayto provide support for those experiencing menopause whilst in custody.

The referral pathway provides women in custody who are over the age of 40 with the opportunity to speak to a healthcare professional about perimenopause and menopausal symptoms and includes producing an individualised care plan for those who may need support.

Following the success of the recommendations and toolkit created by Sussex’s ICVs and partners, the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for policing, issued by The College of Policing, now states all forces across England and Wales should have the menopause referral pathway in their custody centres. The College’s APP must be adhered to by all police forces and it also sets out mandatory policies.

When someone gets placed in custody, it is important to remember that they are a detainee at this point, not a convicted prisoner and their human rights (including dignity) must be recognised and protected at all times. They should have access to age and gender-specific health care provisions which can allow detainees to be better engaged with the custody process, including during interviews.

The announcement of the changes to the APP comes in the same month that Sussex’s ICV scheme was selected out of 43 ICV schemes to launch a new toolkit developed by the National Preventive Mechanism on the ‘prevention of ill treatment in places where people are deprived of their liberty’.

I’m delighted that our ICV scheme in Sussex continues to lead the way in identifying any gaps in provision or vulnerabilities that may occur during the criminal justice process. The work carried out by my team of volunteers is crucial in helping me to hold the police force to account on behalf of the public and I commend them for their dedication and commitment.

You can read more about their work on my website.

Katy Bourne OBE

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner