Policy area: Crime & justice

Reports

Exploring mechanisms for the return of proceeds of corruption

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores mechanisms for the return of proceeds of corruption. In the report, Maria outlines how the amount of assets returned by destination countries to countries of origin represents only a minimal fraction of the total amount of proceeds lost to corruption. In early 2022, it was estimated that...

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Roads to recovery

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at exploring prison rehabilitation and its alternatives. One of the primary purposes of the UK prison system is to facilitate offender rehabilitation. However, inadequate support and high reoffending rates mean it may be failing to live up to that ideal. Drawing upon lessons from...

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Fraudulent times

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation argues that a more concerted and long-term effort against fraud is needed. We are in the midst of a fraud emergency, but efforts to tackle it have consistently fallen short of reversing its growth in recent years. This report argues that a more concerted and...

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Anti-money-laundering enablers

This report from UK think tank RUSI looks at the four key challenges and how to address them. Kathryn Westmore In the report, Kathryn outlines how the legal and accounting industries have faced mounting criticism over their apparent failure to effectively prevent and detect illicit actors’ money laundering activities, particularly in the wake of the full-scale...

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Securing religious freedom

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society looks at why British leadership on FoRB should be written into law. In the last five years, the promotion of international religious freedom has become a new priority, and a notable success story, for British diplomacy. But this vitally important policy now faces both political...

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Doing data justice

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at improving how data is collected, managed and used in the justice system. Data in the justice system has more gaps than other public services, data is often of poor quality, and data analysis is not playing as large a role as it should...

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The view from the ground

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation looks at the extent of fraud and its economic and psychological impact on victims. The UK is experiencing an epidemic of fraud, yet the threat of it has remained neglected in political debates about crime, with insufficient research into the problem. This SMF report investigates...

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Britain’s new blasphemy police?

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society looks at understanding Islamist anti-blasphemy action in the UK. Blasphemy is the act of saying or doing something that disrespects God or religion. The common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel were abolished in England and Wales by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act...

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Fraudemic

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation adds to the evidence base on the scale and impact of fraud on the UK. Fraud is being committed at epidemic levels, but its impact is not as well understood as it should be. This interim report looks to add to the current evidence base,...

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Home truths: Cultural and institutional problems at the Home Office

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the deep-rooted institutional and cultural problems that undermine the Home Office’s performance. Deep-rooted institutional and cultural problems undermine the Home Office’s performance and approach to crime, immigration, and asylum seekers – and are neglected by ministers at their peril. This report says Suella...

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Unlocking aspiration

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice looks at breaking down barriers to work for people leaving prison. Britain’s economy is clamouring for workers. So much so that the Government dubbed the main fiscal event of 2023 its “back to work Budget”, introducing a new Universal Support scheme to help tens...

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Home for good

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice looks at Housing First for domestic abuse survivors. The number of people forced into homelessness by an abusive or violent partner has surged by almost a fifth since the pandemic. According to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities between July and September...

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Slavery at home

This report from UK think tank the Centre for Social Justice looks at a new bill to tackle slavery in Britain. The new paper from our joint modern slavery unit ‘Slavery at Home: a new bill to tackle slavery in Britain’ recommends four ways to strengthen the modern slavery system. In 2015 the Modern Slavery...

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Towards a new model for economic crime policing: Target 2030

This report from UK think tank RUSI looks at a national security-based model that draws on characteristics of three other national security policing responses. In 2022, escalating levels of fraud and the spotlight placed on the UK’s role in Russia-related money laundering have given rise to a growing recognition of economic crime as a national...

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Embassies and elephants

This report from UK think tank RUSI looks at North Korea's involvement in aspects of the illegal wildlife trade to generate foreign currency. The North Korean government has a long history of involvement in illicit activities to generate foreign currency, which it uses to fund the regime elite and its weapons proliferation programmes, currently subject...

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