The development of the equalities scheme in the Crown Prosecution Service

1. The development of the equalities scheme in the Crown Prosecution Service Shehla Husain Equality and Diversity Unit 12 April 2007

2. CPS Single Equality Scheme2006-2010 • Published 4 December 2006 • Race Equality Scheme, Disability Equality Scheme and Gender Equality Scheme • Also encompassed developing legal obligations with respect to the ‘new’ equality strands of sexuality and gender identity, religion or belief and age

3. Gender and Gender Identity Equality and Inequality The Evidence Base: Employment • 66.8% of staff were women; 32.2% men • Grades with highest representation of women were A1(78.3%), A2 (77.9%), legal trainee (72%) - CCP (24.5%) • 28.5% of women staff worked alternate working patterns; 3.3% men • Staff perception and satisfaction: broad similarities in views Note: data from 2004-05

4. The Evidence Base: Defendants, Victims and Witnesses • Charging Impact Assessment, 2004-05: • Over 99% recording of gender data • Men (39.5%) more likely than women (34.8%) to receive a charge • Women (5.3%) more likely than men (3.3%) to have their case finalised by a decision to caution/reprimand/warning • Women (35.7%) more likely than men (32%) to receive NFA on evidential grounds

5. CPS Prosecution Policies • CPS responsible for prosecution of criminal offences of violence against women: • domestic violence, rape and other sexual assaults, human trafficking, prostitution, child abuse & developing policy on elder abuse • forced marriage, so-called honour crimes and female genital mutilation are addressed under the umbrella of domestic violence • Development of a co-ordinated strategy of Violence Against Women in 2007-08 – a key component of the Gender and Gender Identity Equality Action Plan

6. CPS Data Collection • Manual Domestic Violence Snapshots since 2002 – based on one month’s data • Electronic recording of Domestic Violence data since 2004-5 • Hate crime indicator introduced in 2005-6 • Hate crimes: racially and religiously aggravated crimes, homophobic crimes, domestic violence - and from April disability hate crimes • 36% national target to reduce unsuccessful hate crime outcomes by April 2007 (target met by Dec 2006)

7. Monitoring of hate crime target • Quarterly assessment of each CPS Area performance on tackling hate crimes • Meetings at least once a year with Director of Public Prosecution and Chief Executive • Project and Performance Advisors in 4 Regions • Also measure community engagement – 2nd key equality performance indicator

8. Data breakdown • Defendant outcomes analysed: • Successful and unsuccessful – gender and ethnicity • Breakdown of reasons for unsuccessful cases • Principal offences • Victim/witness data analysed: • Witness Management System – police and CPS • Difficulties in getting data on gender and ethnicity

9. Gender data • From 2006-07 all hate crime data is broken down by gender and ethnicity – for defendants and victims • Analysis of details of outcomes by gender of defendant • Cross flagging of DV cases by child abuse, rape, racially/religiously aggravated crimes; homophobic crimes & drug intervention programmes • Rape cases are also flagged though regular reporting not yet in place

10. Results • The numbers of recorded domestic violence prosecutions from April – December 2006 had increased by 19% from the same period in 2005 (from 35,231 to 41,860 cases) • Discontinued domestic violence cases reduced from 33% to 28% and the use of bindovers from 15% to 8% in the same period • Successful prosecutions had increased from 46% in December 2003 to 65.4% by December 2006

11. Results • An indicator was also used to identify the proportion of successful prosecution outcomes in relation to the number of incidents where an arrest was made with quarterly reports: From April – September 2006 the average was 17.1% (compared with 15.4% in 2005) • From April 2006, DV data analysed by gender and ethnicity of defendant: From April to December 2006, 95% of defendants were male, with 17% from minority ethnic communities (analysis only currently carried out between July and Sept 2006 for ethnicity).

12. New flags • New “flags” on details of victim retractions in hate crimes from April 2007 • New “flags” piloted from June 2007 on forced marriage and so-called honour-based violence in 4 Areas • From November 2007 monitoring of relationship between defendant and victim in hate crimes and support from specialist hate crime services

13. Future plans • 28% national target Hate crime target to reduce unsuccessful outcomes for 2007-08 • Split of target for each type of hate crime – DV (80% of hate crime) will have 30% target • Report of all 2007-08 data and analysis by autumn 2008: CPS Annual Hate Crimes Report published

14. CPS priorities • Single Equality Scheme – Gender and Gender Identity Equality Action Plan • For 2007-08 CPS has one of its key priorities: • Ensuring we respond to public needs by delivering on community justice, developing our responses to hate crime, violence against women and community engagement