Every day, thousands of people are involved in preventing and tackling crime across Merseyside.

As Commissioner, one of the PCC's wider responsibilities includes overseeing and working with criminal justice partners to ensure an efficient and effective criminal justice system for Merseyside.

In order to help fulfil these duties, she chairs the Merseyside Criminal Justice Board (MCJB) The MCJB is unique as it brings together criminal justice agencies on Merseyside with a view to joining up criminal justice processes across a range of areas.Merseyside Criminal Justice Board

Core membership is as follows:

  • Merseyside Police
  • Crown Prosecution Service
  • Hos Majesty’s Court & Tribunal Service
  • Merseyside Probation Trust
  • Her Majesty’s Prison Service
  • Youth Offending Teams
  • Legal Aid Agency
  • Local Authorities

There are also a number of co-opted members. These include:

  • Merseyside Rehabilitation Company PLC
  • Clinical Commissioning representative
  • Head of Criminal Justice, Merseyside Police
  • Local Authority Chief Executive (currently Knowsley)
  • Local Safeguarding Adult’s Board representative
  • Local Safeguarding Children’s Board representative
  • Merseycare representative
  • Offender Health representative

Vision

The Board has an agreed vision which states:

"In partnership provide a fair, efficient and effective Criminal Justice System, with a proactive approach, which reduces crime and re offending and focuses on the needs of victims and witnesses."

As an established and experienced body the MCJB provides the Commissioner with an ideal forum to discuss criminal justice issues with officers at an appropriate level. The Board provides the Commissioner with the opportunity to hear about issues or blockages within the criminal justice system and consider and recommend remedies with partners to such issues.

By working together the Board, the PCC has successfully agreed pan-Merseyside strategies that help to ensure a consistent, efficient and effective approach to a range of issues including domestic violence and reducing reoffending.

Partnerships

The MCJB also has links to Community Safety Partnerships, health services and voluntary agencies supporting the criminal justice system. It also has a range of sub-groups which are focused on specific issues, such as reducing reoffending, youth offending, hate crime, domestic violence and victims and witnesses.