A critical examination of the persistent and other priority scheme

The aim of this paper is to explore the Persistent and other Priority Offenders (PPO) Scheme. The paper will critically examine the scheme paying reference to the potential contradictions in the aims of the strategy. Following this the paper will explore the issues raised by the selection method used within the PPO scheme. The paper will argue that there are some real tensions in relation to justice by geography and that the strategy is leading to a differentiated approach across England and Wales. In autumn 2002, the government announced the ‘Narrowing the Gap’ programme in order to bring the overall number of offences to justice. A key element of the strategy was a focus upon persistent offenders. As a result in April 2003, the Persistent Offender Scheme came into place, with the aim of targeting the most prolific adult offenders (those who had been convicted of six or more recordable offences in the last year) and other offenders identified as persistent on the basis of local police intelligence. In broad terms, the scheme was welcomed by practitioners, however, concerns were soon raised that the offenders identified by the scheme were not the right ones as the scheme did not always fit local experiences of offending. Furthermore, practitioners reported that the scheme captured too many offenders and in particular those guilty of persistent minor crimes, rather than those who were deemed as the most problematic. As a result the Prolific and other Priority Offenders Strategy was launched in March 2004 and rolled out nationally on the 6th September 2004. The programme is led by Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) in England and Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) in Wales, working closely with Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs). PPO schemes are now established in every CDRP and CSP area and feature a joined-up multiagency offender management model involving representatives from the local Police and Probation Services, Local Authorities and Youth Offending Teams. The programme focuses upon three areas: 1. Prevent and Deter—Aiming to stop young people from engaging in offending behaviours and graduating to become the prolific offenders of the future.