THE Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has been appointed to a national role to improve criminal justice.

Commissioner Alison Hernandez has been selected as co-lead for the criminal justice portfolio for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.

The role, which she will share with Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire Danielle Stone after Essex Commissioner Donna Jones stepped down, aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system and supports Police and Crime Commissioners to join up services locally.

Commissioner Hernandez said being selected as national co-lead was an honour and the result of a “relentless focus” on criminal justice over many years.

It comes a year after the launch of Criminal Justice and You – an interactive, multimedia resource for victims of crime – by the Local Criminal Justice Board (LCJB), which is chaired by Commissioner Hernandez, in collaboration with her office.

The groundbreaking resource, hailed by former Victims Minister Laura Farris as “an invaluable asset” is the first of its kind in the country, and guides victims and witness through the criminal justice process, from reporting a crime to the outcome of a case, and what happens afterwards.

Several other Police and Crime Commissioners are now replicating the resource in their own area.

Another success story is Prisoners Building Homes, a pioneering, cross-government programme that delivers high-quality, low-cost modular homes built by prisoners. It sees offenders learn construction skills while earning a wage and to date has seen a less than five per cent reoffending rate.

The proof of concept was funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Devon and Cornwall with the first homes built in Torquay, Devon. The scheme has now rolled out across the country with more than 700 homes planned.

The Devon and Cornwall LCJB also developed a scrutiny framework and carries out regular Victims Code of Practice activity with criminal justice partners including with magistrates, probation and police to identify areas for improvement.

The Commissioner also chaired and led emergency LCJB meetings during the disorder in Plymouth in August 2024, supported by proactive communications activity from her office, a response which was highlighted as good practice by the National Superintendents Association.

The OPCC later produced a scrutiny report to establish if two-tier policing could be evidenced during the disorder.

Her office also carried out a deep dive into investigation file quality amid concerns over delays in cases coming to court, working jointly with Devon & Cornwall Police and the Crown Prosecution Service. This scrutiny work identified poor practice and exposed issues that are now being addressed or have been dealt with.

File quality later improved from the second worse in the country to within the upper quartile within a year.

Commissioner Hernandez said: “I am honoured to take up the mantle as co-lead for this important role and stand alongside Commissioner Stone as we continue to strive for improvements in the criminal justice process.

“I have had a relentless focus on driving change for the better in this area for many years and firmly believe that protecting victims and preventing reoffending play a key role in keeping communities safe.

“I am proud of the innovate work of my office and the Local Criminal Justice Board in making significant improvements locally, which benefit both those affected by crime and those who have offended, and which have since been rolled out more widely.

“Much of the work we have done in this area I believe can been seen as best practice and I’m looking forward to being able to continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system on the national stage.”

To find out more about Criminal Justice and You, visit https://victimcare-dc.org/your-journey-through-the-criminal-justice-system/

To find out more about Prisoners Building Homes, visit https://www.pbh.org.uk/