Protecting the public is a key priority for London Probation Trust. 

 

The offenders we work with pose various forms and levels of risk; those posing the highest levels of risk and of serious re-offending (including violent and sexual offenders) are managed through MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements).

 

In order to achieve this management, we work closely with the Prison Service, Metropolitan Police, City of London Police, health services, local authority housing services and social services among others.  Forming borough MAPP Panels, these services meet regularly to devise individual risk management plans for offenders before release and monitor their behaviour once released.

 

 

History

MAPPA began operating in April 2001.  This body places a duty on the police and the Probation Service to assess and manage risks posed by offenders in every community in England and Wales.  In the most serious cases MAPPA can recommend increased police monitoring, special steps to protect victims and the use of closely supervised accommodation.  Information on MAPPA is available to the public in the form of the regional MAPPA Annual Reports. 

 

How does MAPPA work?

The aim of MAPPA is to ensure that a risk management plan drawn up for the most serious offenders benefits from the information, skills and resources provided by the individual agencies being co-ordinated through MAPPA.

 

There are four key features within MAPPA:

 

1. Identifying offenders to be supervised under MAPPA

This is generally determined by the offender's offence and sentence, but is also by assessed risk.  There are three formal categories:

Category One: Registered Sex Offenders

Category Two: Violent or other sex offenders

Category Three: Other offenders

 

2. Sharing of information about offenders

MAPPA promotes information sharing between all the agencies, resulting in more effective supervision and better public protection.

For example:

  • police will share information with offender managers that they have gathered about an offender's behaviour from surveillance or intelligence gathering
  • local authorities will help find offenders suitable accommodation where they can be effectively managed

 

3. Assessing the risks posed by offenders

Most MAPPA offenders do not present a risk of serious harm to the public: the MAPPA enable resources and attention to be focused on those who present the highest risks.

 

4. Managing the risk posed by individual offenders

MAPPA offenders should be managed at one of three levels.

While the assessed level of risk is an important factor, it is the degree of management intervention required which determines the level.

 

Level One: involves normal agency management

Generally offenders managed at this level will be assessed as presenting a low or medium risk of serious harm to others. In 2004/05 just more than 71% of MAPPA offenders were managed at this level.

 

Level Two: often called local inter-risk agency management

Most offenders assessed as high or very high risk of harm. In 2004/05 just more than 25% of MAPPA offenders were managed at this level.

 

Level Three: known as Multi-Agency Public Protection Panels (or MAPPPs)

Appropriate for those offenders who pose the highest risk of causing serious harm or whose management is so problematic that multi-agency co-operation and oversight at a senior level is required with the authority to commit exceptional resources. In 2004/05 just more than 3% of MAPPA offenders were managed at this level.

 

For more information about MAPPA, please download the latest MAPPA annual report from this page.