Criminal justice

Section 10 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 mandates that PCCs and other criminal justice bodies ‘provide an efficient and effective criminal justice system for the police area’. The APCC supports PCCs in fulfilling this duty by partnering with them to commission services for victims of crime, and ensuring that local criminal justice elements (courts, prisons and probation) operate efficiently.  

PCCs also lead Local Criminal Justice Boards that bring together diverse partners to deliver justice and improve outcomes for victims.

Our priorities

• Victim-centric service commissioning – ensuring that the needs, experiences and voices of victims are at the heart of local and national criminal justice developments, and robustly challenging violence against women and girls through coordinated national and local partnerships
• Integrated criminal justice collaboration – helping to reduce offending and improve overall outcomes for victims by enhancing the role of PCCs in uniting local criminal justice services

Strategic goals

Our strategic goals drive tangible improvements across the system:

• Enhanced programme of work – targeted support through dedicated forums, guidance and initiatives designed to boost the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of Local Criminal Justice Boards
• National Data Network – a new APCC-led network for OPCCs and other criminal justice data analysts to promote shared insights and drive better decision-making across the system
• Influential national representation – ensuring that PCCs are well-represented on the National Criminal Justice Board and other national boards and decision-making forums through informed and impactful participation

This comprehensive approach underscores our commitment to a whole-system effort in delivering justice, reducing offending and enhancing outcomes for victims throughout the criminal justice landscape.

Portfolio leads