'Immediate Justice' Pilot Ramps Up In Sussex

The Immediate Justice (IJ) pilot, which is part of the Government’s Action Plan to crack down on anti-social behaviour, continues to gather momentum in Sussex.

So far, more than 111 cases have been referred to the Sussex scheme since its launch in July 2023 with the Sussex Immediate Justice (IJ) taskforce holding a dedicated month of action in March.

Operation Enhance provided all police shifts across Sussex with an additional Sergeant and two Police Constables to follow live reports and direct suitable cases through to Immediate Justice.

Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said:

“I’m delighted the Sussex Immediate Justice Taskforce has made steadfast progress with our pilot, which began in Brighton and Hove. We’re seeing increasingly more cases being referred to the scheme and offenders committing anti-social behaviour (ASB) swiftly repairing the harm or damage they have caused. The scheme is also helping to prevent further criminality and deter first-time offenders.

“Anti-social behaviour is a blight on communities so, as we approach the first anniversary of the Government’s Action Plan, we can reflect upon a successful year of action. Working with Superintendent Andy Saville (Sussex Police’s lead for Immediate Justice and ASB) and restorative and Youth Justice Services, I am determined to continue driving down incidents of ASB, ensuring that offenders repair the harm they have caused and improving overall feelings of safety for everyone across our county.”

The Sussex IJ Taskforce is now fully operational and the team have been building an infrastructure of partners to aid reparative activity for referrals.

They say there are higher levels of youth offending compared to other age categories and thus far, the Youth Justice Service (YJS) have played an instrumental role in enabling younger offenders to carry out reparative activity with a range of organisations. The Brighton & Hove YJS have ties to 10 different community-based projects.

A youth offender referred to the IJ scheme with a Community Resolution was asked to complete two reparative sessions with the Kingfisher Residents Association, overseen by the Brighton & Hove Youth Justice Service.

The first session of reparative activity was to clear a patio space of weeds in the community. Whilst taking part in the activity, the individual proactively asked questions about who would benefit from this work. When discussing the plans for the second session, the individual requested that they re-visit the patio space the next day to finish the job they had started, taking pride in the work they were undertaking. You can see before and after photos of their work below: 

Speaking about this particular case, Louise Rowe Restorative Justice Co-ordinator for Brighton & Hove Adolescent Services said:

“This case is a clear example of why Immediate Justice is beneficial for both communities and offenders. The community sees a positive action to put right the wrong the individual has caused, and the offender learns invaluable lessons about the harm they have caused others.

“The young person took real pride in the reparative activity, ensuring they completed the task when they could have moved onto something else, and had a real appetite to understand who and how this would benefit residents locally.”

Common offences of anti-social behaviour referred to the pilot include criminal damage and vandalism, common assault and ABH, in addition to public order offences.

In Brighton & Hove some 'tagging' offenders who have committed ASB have repaired damage caused across the city.  

The main image shows work undertaken through the Immediate Justice pilot at The Level, Brighton.

Speaking about this reparative activity, Inspector James Ward said:

“As with all Immediate Justice referrals, it is vital that the offender understands the harm and damage they have caused to an individual or community and to make amends for their behaviour.

“It is pleasing to see that this particular reparative action has had a positive effect on the surrounding community, showing the public that ASB will not be tolerated in Sussex and that offenders will be held accountable for their actions.”

Superintendent Andy Saville reflects on the progress of the pilot so far:

“We’ve been successful in implementing the Immediate Justice pilot in Sussex and have a wealth of partners playing a key role in delivering reparative activity with offenders. Over the coming months I’m looking forward to seeing further partnerships develop, whilst demonstrating to victims and communities how anti-social behaviour is being tackled and making Sussex an even safer place for all.”