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Justice system starved of money, police leaders say

Marcus White
BBC News
Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber and Donna Jones stand outside 10 Downing Street. Mr Barber is taller, has receding brown hair, and wears a light grey suit and glasses. Ms Jones has long, straight, fair hair, and wears a black jacket over a black top with a blue beaded necklace.Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner
PCCs Matthew Barber and Donna Jones said the justice system was "buckling"

Public safety is at risk because the justice system is starved of resources, two police and crime commissioners (PCCs) have said.

Hampshire's Donna Jones and Thames Valley counterpart Matthew Barber said the government's Spending Review on Wednesday should address "chronic underfunding" of the Ministry of Justice.

The Conservative PCCs said cuts had led to "clogged" courts, collapsed legal cases and overstretched services to manage offenders in the community.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the government had already invested in prison-building and probation services, as well as increasing sitting days at crown courts.

The PCCs, who oversee police forces in their areas, said the "buckling" justice system had "left victims in limbo".

In an online statement, they wrote: "Officers are working tirelessly to arrest dangerous individuals.

"Too many of these cases are falling apart because courts are clogged, evidence is lost, or legal processes fail due to under-resourcing.

"Releasing thousands of prisoners early and proposing lighter sentences in the community may relieve pressure, but only if community supervision, rehabilitation services and offender management teams are properly funded.

"Where rehabilitation is right, it must be resourced and monitored. At the moment, neither is happening to the standard the public expects."

David Sidwick David Sidwick smiles at the camera in a room with bookshelves. He has light grey hair, a dark suit, white shirt and blue tie. David Sidwick
Dorset PCC David Sidwick said the national Police Funding Formula should be changed

The commissioners said 16,231 prisoners were released early in 2024 under the government's plan to ease overcrowding in jail.

The number of court cases awaiting trial nearly doubled in five years to 73,105 cases in September 2024, they added.

The MoJ said: "This government inherited a justice system in crisis, but we are gripping the situation and have taken immediate action.

"We've confirmed plans to invest £4.7bn more in prison building to make sure the public are never again put at risk by running out of prison places.

"This is backed by a boost of up to £700m a year by 2028-29 for probation services, and a record allocation of crown court sitting days to tackle the backlog and deliver swifter justice for victims."

In a separate statement, Dorset PCC David Sidwick urged the government to change the police National Funding Formula, which he said left his county "continually at the bottom of the list".

The Conservative said: "Currently, Dorset receives the second lowest amount of police grant funding of any force in England and Wales."

The Home Office has been approached for comment on the funding system.

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