Listed below is a selection of media coverage of the Centre for Crime Prevention:
Media Coverage
Daily Mail, 27 July 2017: Anger as members of Rochdale grooming gang get legal aid to fight deportation… after already receiving £1m to unsuccessfully defend their criminal charges
David Spencer, of the Centre For Crime Prevention think-tank, said: ‘These men have been convicted of some truly abhorrent offences and it beggars belief that they are now able to run up even bigger taxpayer-funded bills making spurious appeals in an effort to extend their stay in the UK.
‘These men clearly pose a threat to public safety. If someone is born overseas and commit such crimes in the UK, it is absolutely right that their citizenship should be revoked.’
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Mail, 27 July 2017, link.
Daily Mail, 4 July 2017: Criminals out of jail on probation ‘murder 76 people a year’
David Spencer, of the Centre For Crime Prevention think-tank, said: ‘These shocking figures show that, despite the recent Government shake-up, probation in the UK is still not fit for purpose.
‘For even one criminal to be released under supervision, only to commit a serious crime, is unacceptable. […]
‘It is painfully clear that an urgent review of the current system is needed.’
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Mail, 4 July 2017, link.
Read more Daily Mail, 4 July 2017: Criminals out of jail on probation ‘murder 76 people a year’
Daily Mail, 28 June 2017: Hate cleric arrested in Birmingham ‘who preached to the Bataclan bomber’ is now using human rights laws and legal aid to fight extradition to Spain
Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention think-tank, said: ‘Britain bears far more than our share of the burden of these foreign fanatics taking advantage of asylum rules and freedom of movement to live here – and often live off the British taxpayer.
‘These hate preachers and Islamic terrorists are just another reason to bring immigration back under proper control.’
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Mail, 28 June 2017, link.
Daily Mail, 15 May 2017: Ten criminals a WEEK commit a serious offence – including sexual and violent crimes – while they are on probation
David Spencer, of the Centre For Crime Prevention think-tank, said: ‘It is shocking that so many dangerous criminals are being released to offend again. Probation should be solely reserved for low-level offenders.’
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Mail, 15 May 2017, link.
The Sun, 28 April 2017: Chilling CCTV shows groom dragging woman into bushes and raping her just hours before marrying Harry Kane’s pregnant cousin — and stalking another who managed to get away
Peter Cuthbertson of the Centre for Crime Prevention said: “This could have been prevented by keeping him in prison.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: The Sun, 28 April 2017, link.
The Sun, 6 March 2017: Cop who nabbed wedding day rapist 11 years ago slams his early release after he attacked stranger hours before wedding to Harry Kane’s cousin
Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “At 17 someone can be married, serve in the armed forces and drive a car – so treating that as a reason to be lenient towards serious crimes is ridiculous.
“There should be proper scrutiny of the parole board members who made this decision to release him as soon as possible, and how they got it so wrong.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: The Sun, 6 March 2017, link.
The Sun, 2 March 2017: Groom Derry McCann repeatedly raped stranger hours before marrying Harry Kane’s pregnant cousin after early release for copycat sex attack
Peter Cuthbertson of the Centre for Crime Prevention said: “This could have been prevented by keeping him in prison.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: The Sun, 2 March 2017, link.
Sunday People, 12 February 2017: Convicted murderers and rapists escape from ‘holiday camp’ jails every two days after being let out to work
David Spencer, research director at the Centre for Crime Prevention think-tank, said: “This data highlights the risks open prisons pose to the public. Serious, violent and sexual offenders should not be considered for open prison places.
“It is time the Ministry of Justice stopped placing dangerous offenders in what seem to amount to taxpayer-funded holiday camps.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Sunday People, 12 February 2017, link.
Daily Mirror, 30 January 2017: Inmates post Trip Advisor-style reviews of ‘holiday’ prisons in sick insult to crime victims
Justice campaigner David Spencer, Research Director at the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “The very existence of these Facebook pages says much about the cushy conditions prisoners are enjoying in jails around the UK.
“For the Ministry to say none of the comments were made by serving prisoners shows how out of touch they are with the reality in the jail system, where the smuggling contraband items such as mobile phones is endemic.
“It is high time that they got to grips with security across the prison system as a whole, and ensured that a spell behind bars really does act as a deterrent to criminals, rather than them comparing it to a hotel stay.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Mirror, 30 January 2017, link.
Mail Online, 24 January 2017: Judge lets violent thug, 31, take off his electronic tag so he can fly to Cancun for luxury family holiday
Campaigner Peter Cuthbertson, director of The Centre for Crime Prevention, told The Sun’s Tom Wells: ‘There’s a simple answer if people don’t want the criminal justice system to interfere with their holiday – don’t commit crime.’
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Mail Online, 24 January 2017, link.
Daily Star Sunday, 8 January 2017: Reoffending paedophiles sent back to jail: Lie tests put rapists and paedos behind bars
David Spencer, research director at the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “Reoffending rates in the UK are still at scandalously high levels and any means by which potential reoffenders can be identified has to be welcomed.
“Now that it has been proved that polygraph machines have kept 23 potential sex offenders off the streets, it is high time that the technology was rolled out more widely.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Star Sunday, 8 January 2017, link.
The Sun, 11 August 2016: Cops swoop on cannabis festival where drug users were openly getting high…to investigate reports of loud music
Peter Cuthbertson of the Centre for Crime Prevention, who was the Conservative candidate in this year’s election for Police and Crime Commissioner in Darlington and County Durham, said: “It’s worrying if police now prioritise noise issues over drug abuse.
“These people should not be above the law.
“It’s easy to blame the police, but there is a real issue about the courts being so lax on drug users that police lose interest in pursuing them.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: The Sun, 11 August 2016, link.
Daily Telegraph, 14 March 2016: Smash-and-grab robber joined gang in £200,000 crime spree while on day release from prison
Peter Cuthbertson, Director of the Centre for Crime Prevention, described the sentence as “pathetic”.
“Cases like this illustrate the massive overuse of open prisons to include hardened criminals,” he said.
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Telegraph, 14 March 2016, link.
Daily Star, 4 January 2015: SCANDAL of crooks dodging prison thanks to ‘soft’ justice system
Peter Cuthbertson, Director of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “It is a disgrace that every day soft sentences are given to serious and prolific offenders.
“The public needs protection from those who repeatedly commit robbery and sex offences.
“Instead we see prolific criminals having jail sentences suspended or given fines or community sentences.
“This is a real miscarriage of justice that must be brought to an end.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Star, 4 January 2015, link.
Daily Express, 20 May 2014: Revealed: 100 danger prisoners are let out every day in the UK
Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “These are horrifying figures. They show the extent to which day passes are being massively overused for hardened criminals.
“This undermines punishments for serious offences and puts the public at very great risk.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Express, 20 May 2014, link.
Read more Daily Express, 20 May 2014: Revealed: 100 danger prisoners are let out every day in the UK
Sky News, 12 May 2014: Thousands Of Serial Criminals Dodging Jail
Centre for Crime Prevention director Peter Cuthbertson said: “Thugs and sex offenders who think they are finally going to prison are overjoyed when they find out that their prison sentence has been suspended.
“It makes a mockery of justice for victims and puts the public at great risk.
“These figures show that criminals given suspended sentences go on to commit hundreds of thousands of crimes.
“Suspended sentences should be abolished.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Sky News, 12 May 2014, link.
Read more Sky News, 12 May 2014: Thousands Of Serial Criminals Dodging Jail
Daily Express, 25 April 2014: Custodial sentences key to protecting the public
Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention, is absolutely right when he says: “Soft justice doesn’t cut reoffending and it fails to protect the public.
“If we tackle the under-use of prisons for prolific criminals there will be a dramatic fall in the crime rate.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Express, 25 April 2014, link.
Read more Daily Express, 25 April 2014: Custodial sentences key to protecting the public
Daily Mirror, 10 January 2014: Criminals with more than 300 convictions avoiding jail in Britain’s ‘soft-touch’ justice system
Author of a new report Peter Cuthbertson said: “New Zealand told criminals it is ‘three strikes and you’re out’… we don’t even have 300 strikes and you’re out”.
The figures were unearthed in a study by the Centre for Crime Prevention.
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Mirror, 10 January 2014, link.
Daily Mail, 21 August 2013: Burglars in prison paid £20 a week to quiz you about your valuables
Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: ‘Trusting criminals with people’s financial details is incredibly naive.
‘Burglars will know who to target when they are released.’
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Daily Mail, 21 August 2013, link.
Northern Echo, 20 February 2013: Reoffending rates show “revolving door” community sentences not working, critics say
Peter Cuthbertson, author of the report and director of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: “These figures prove that letting thousands of criminals off with one community sentence after another is failing miserably at protecting the public.
“Some of the worst figures are for the North-East and Yorkshire, suggesting this is where greater use of prison for serious offenders would be most effective.”
Political campaigner Mr Cuthbertson, who is originally from Darlington, added: “Community sentences fail to protect the public and fail to stop reoffending. Prison works.”
Click below to learn more, or get the full story here: Northern Echo, 20 February 2013, link.