An innovative new community project in Nottingham that is providing new skills to local Asian youth has been awarded £27,000 from Community Cashback.
The Nottingham 'Crime, Consequence and Responsibility Project' is one of 300 community projects across England and Wales to secure a share of the £4 million Community Cashback fund, giving local people a direct say on how criminal assets are spent in the fight against crime and antisocial behaviour.
The programme is delivered in partnership by the Human Relations Network (HRN) and the Asian Youth Development Agency (AYDA) and focuses on engaging young Asian people with the local criminal justice system to increase their understanding, awareness and trust of the system.
Research by the AYDA found that Asian youth lack an understanding of the criminal justice system and are less likely to report crime for fear of arrest and intimidation.
Justice Minister Lord Bach said:
'The Nottingham Crime, Consequence and Responsibility project is an excellent example of how the local criminal justice bodies can work hand-in-hand to create innovative ways to tackle a local issue. While the scheme provides these young people with fantastic new skills and development opportunities, it's also giving them a longer term understanding, awareness and trust of their local criminal justice bodies.
'It's more important than ever that the public can see and influence how justice is being delivered in their local neighbourhood. It is also right that criminals are made to payback for their crimes. The Community Cashback fund ensures that some of their ill gotten gains are ploughed back into local communities.
'The Community Cash back scheme is just one way that provides communities with a stronger voice and better access to shaping the criminal justice system and follows in the footsteps of other successful initiatives including Community Payback, Community Prosecutors and restorative justice programmes, which all aim to ensure that justice is no only done, but seen to be done.'
The Crime Consequence and Responsibility Project is delivered by trained volunteers who help the young people develop skills and take greater responsibility for their actions. Each young person works with script writers to develop radio plays, diaries and documentaries which will be broadcast on local radio stations.
Rehman Syed, Co-ordinator of the Crime Consequence and Responsibility Project said:
'The Community cashback funding has enabled AYDA and HRN to develop and deliver a much needed project in our local community. Crime Consequence & Responsibility breaks down barriers between isolated sections of our community and the criminal justice agencies - for the benefit of society as a whole. We've had the idea for this project for some time but funding is getting hard to come by - so we were pleased to hear of the 'cashback' programme. When you think of where the money has come from, it's good to see it benefiting of the community'.
The Community Cashback scheme received more than 45,000 votes from members of the public for 1,225 proposed community projects. Each project has to help tackle antisocial or criminal behaviour locally and show the community had made clear it was something wanted to see happen.
Until now money recovered from criminals (£148 million for 08/09) has been split between frontline services, such as the police, and Government departments involved with the criminal justice system. This is the first time communities can influence how that money is spent.
Figures show the value of assets recovered from criminals in 08/09 rose to an all time high of £148 million. This is up from £136 million recovered in 07/08.
The Community Cashback scheme was set up following a proposal in the Government's Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice Green Paper, that communities should be given a greater say on how criminal's cash could be used to benefit their villages, towns and cities.
Notes to editors
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Media enquiries: Ministry of Justice press office 020 3334 3536.
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The fund from criminal assets is being taken out of money usually allocated to the Home Office (£2m); Ministry of Justice/HMCS (£0.5m); HMRC/ACPO/SOCA (£0.75m); AGO/CPS/RCPO/SFO (£0.75m)
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Criminal Justice and Treasury Ministers have previously agreed that communities should be given more control in how asset recovery money is spent locally. This commitment was set out in the Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice Green Paper (published on 29 April 2009).
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The Office for Criminal Justice Reform is the cross-departmental team that supports all criminal justice agencies in working together to provide an improved service to the public.
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