Miscarriages of Justice Support Service
The Bureau’s Miscarriages of Justice Support Service (MJS) has gone from strength to strength over the year, and now has a strong foundation from which to develop its work thanks to a successful agreement with the Home Office, subsequently The Ministry of Justice, to continue funding for a further three years, enabling the Bureau to employ two Specialist Advisers and a dedicated Administrator on this important work.
Clients are given support prior to and during their appeal against conviction, immediately following release and subsequently for as long as they need it. Drawing on the extensive experience of the CAB service, the team provide specialist advice tailored to the client’s individual needs. This support might include any or all of the following depending on when the client accesses the service. No two cases are the same.
Support before Release
- Making prison visits to assess support requirements
- Attending the Appeal Hearing
- Assisting with the discharge process
After Release
- Finding accommodation
- Establishing income
- Applying for National Insurance credits
- Registering with a GP and accessing appropriate healthcare and counselling
- Opening a bank account and budgeting
- Family/relationship issues
- Employment and training needs
- Finding a solicitor to deal with compensation claims
- Practical help such as writing letters, completing forms, booking appointments etc.
To guide the work of MJS the Bureau has a specialist Advisory Group, chaired by Dame Ruth Runciman and involving professionals from the health, legal and advice sectors, who all generously give their time to support and inform the development of the service.
To mark the progress of the service and the confirmation of Home Office funding, a Reception was held in March 2006 to bring together victims of miscarriages of justice and their supporters with professionals from the statutory, voluntary and legal sectors. Guests heard from interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Alastair MacGregor QC, and from Raphael Rowe and Michael O’Brien, both themselves victims of miscarriages of justice. This event was a moving reminder of how valuable the service offered by MJS is and provided a wonderful platform from which to continue to build the service around the diverse needs of our clients.
Case Study
The client applied for a discretionary award from the social fund known as Community Care Grant, which would offer him financial assistance in resettling. The application was for about £300 however the client received an award of £60 to help him resettle back into the community. This was confirmed in writing and the client was given a breakdown of how the award was worked out. He was given: £20 for a jacket; £8 for jeans; socks for £2; t-shirt for £5; underpants for £5; trainers for £20. The Benefits Agency awarded the client this amount of money despite knowing that the client had had his conviction quashed after being in prison for 15 years. The whole situation distressed the client as he could not believe this was how he was being treated after years of being wrongfully convicted. The way he found himself being treated further compounded the mental trauma he was experiencing as a result of the last 15 years.
We requested a review of this decision and represented him at a review interview. Following this interview the original decision was overturned and he was awarded a further £160.
