Immediate Justice gets to work in Greater Carlton with community day of action

Offenders are giving back to the community today as part of a major Immediate Justice day of action to transform Carlton Hill Sensory Garden.

The community clean-up is putting Nottinghamshire’s Immediate Justice programme into action in Greater Carlton, with participants carrying out visible reparation work to improve the garden and surrounding area for local people.

Today’s activity also marks the beginning of an enhanced Immediate Justice offer for Greater Carlton, backed by the Greater Carlton Pride in Place Programme and designed to go further than reparation alone by helping participants address some of the issues that can contribute to repeat offending.

Immediate Justice, run by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, provides eligible first-time and low-level offenders with an opportunity to repair the harm caused by antisocial behaviour and other offences through constructive work in the community.

From removing graffiti and clearing litter to gardening, maintaining public spaces and supporting community organisations, the programme is designed to ensure justice is both swift and visible, with reparation taking place within days of an offence wherever possible.

Today’s work at Carlton Hill Sensory Garden provides a highly visible example of that principle, with participants helping improve a community asset that can be enjoyed by residents.

But the new Greater Carlton offer is also about what happens after the clean-up is finished.

Through investment from the Greater Carlton Pride in Place Programme, participants will be able to access additional education, training and support designed to improve their employment prospects, address underlying needs and ultimately reduce the chances of them offending again.

This includes opportunities to undertake courses such as First Aid at Work, Food Hygiene, Customer Service Skills and Digital Skills, alongside Business Start Up Support.

Participants can also be referred for youth mentoring and careers guidance, while free therapeutic support from qualified counsellors will be available to those who need it.

Greater Carlton Neighbourhood Board Chair David S Stewart OBE said: “Responding to concerns from the community about justice being seen to be done, the Pride in Place Greater Carlton Neighbourhood Board are proud to be supporting the Immediate Justice scheme, ensuring that the community can not only see reparation for crimes committed but that there is a programme in place to provide education and training and reduce reoffending. The Immediate Justice scheme has a proven track record within the County.”

The Greater Carlton initiative builds upon an Immediate Justice model which has already seen participants complete practical work in communities across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The programme is based on a simple principle: where appropriate, people responsible for lower-level offending should be held accountable quickly and constructively, while communities should be able to see something positive being put back into the places affected by crime and antisocial behaviour.

Rather than eligible offenders simply receiving a fine or progressing through the courts, Immediate Justice can require them to spend a set amount of time repairing harm in the community. Placements are tailored to local needs and can include graffiti removal, litter picking, grass cutting, hedge trimming, clearing leaves and cleaning signs and other public spaces.

The programme has continued to grow across Nottinghamshire, with more than 2,500 referrals made into Immediate Justice and participants delivering thousands of hours of reparation activity.

Recent work has included cleaning graffiti and litter from neighbourhoods, restoring public spaces and responding directly to locations identified by residents through the dedicated Immediate Justice reporting website.

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said: “Immediate Justice is about making sure communities can see that antisocial behaviour and low-level offending are being taken seriously, while giving those responsible an opportunity to put something positive back into the places their actions affect.

“Today’s work in Greater Carlton is a fantastic example of that. Residents can see people out in their community, carrying out meaningful work and improving a space which belongs to everybody.

“But what particularly excites me about this enhanced programme is that we’re going a step further. Reparation provides accountability, but if we want to reduce reoffending, we also need to look at what happens tomorrow, next month and next year.

“Giving people access to training, employment support, mentoring and counselling can help address some of the reasons they may repeatedly come into contact with the criminal justice system and give them a genuine opportunity to choose a different path.

“That combination – swift and visible consequences alongside meaningful opportunities to change - is exactly the kind of approach I want us to continue developing across Nottinghamshire.”

The enhanced Greater Carlton model closely supports the PCC’s wider commitment to preventing crime and reducing reoffending, recognising that enforcement alone cannot address every factor that contributes to offending.

Gedling Borough Council Leader Councillor John Clarke MBE said: “This enhanced Immediate Justice Programme is about giving people the opportunity to get back on track and make a positive contribution to their community.

“By giving those involved in low-level crime and anti-social behaviour access to practical training, careers guidance and counselling, it enables people to develop new skills and improve their chances of finding work.

“This investment through the Greater Carlton Pride in Place Programme will help people build brighter futures, reduce reoffending and make our communities safer and stronger for everyone.”

Residents across Greater Carlton are now being encouraged to play their part by identifying further locations where Immediate Justice participants could make a difference and submitting them through the programme’s online reporting service.

Reports are reviewed within 48 hours, with eligible projects assigned for consideration as an Immediate Justice placement. Residents who make a report can receive updates as it progresses, while before-and-after images are published to demonstrate the results of completed work.

To report an area for a clean-up, visit: Immediate Justice Nottingham