Meeting the needs of victims in the criminal justice system

Date of publication
19 December 2023
Inspection
Participating inspectorates
HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
HM Inspectorate of Probation
Inspection category
CJJI thematic report
Theme
Victim and Witness Experience

An inspection of how well the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Probation Service support victims of crime

This inspection aimed to assess how well the criminal justice system meets the needs of victims, from when a victim reports an offence to after the offender has been convicted.

It was a joint inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation. In this inspection, we assessed whether the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Probation Service understand what victims need, whether they meet those needs and whether they provide a good quality service.

We found that for many victims this wasn’t the case.

This report sets out our findings.

Our work was supported by Crest Advisory, which gathered the views of victims between November 2022 and January 2023.

Get the inspection report

Read the report online

Meeting the needs of victims in the criminal justice system: An inspection of how well the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Probation Service support victims of crime

Download the report

Meeting the needs of victims in the criminal justice system: An inspection of how well the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Probation Service support victims of crime (PDF, 793 kB)

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An evaluation of victims’ needs in the Criminal Justice System – Report by Crest Advisory

Get the press release

Too many victims not receiving quality service from criminal justice system