The Prolific and other Priority Offenders Strategy
Catch and Convict
Purpose
Analysis suggests that the 5000 most prolific offenders, representing approximately 0.5% of the entire active offender population are responsible for 9% of all crime. The Catch and Convict strand of the strategy is to actively tackle these prolific offenders.
Aims
Each local scheme will select the individuals who are causing the most harm to their communities and will ensure all agencies prioritise their resources on these offenders to put an end to the harm which they are causing.
There is some interplay between the Catch & Convict and Rehabilitate & Resettle strands as they share the aim of developing a joined-up approach where all partners are focussed on the target group of offenders.
These strands:
Prevent PPOs from offending through their apprehension and conviction, and through licence enforcement, with a swift return to the courts for those PPOs continuing to offend (the Catch and Convict strand of the strategy)
Rehabilitate PPOs who are in custody or serving sentences in the community, through closer working between all relevant agencies, and through continued post-sentence support (the Rehabilitate and Resettle strand of the strategy).
It is important to recognise that the Catch & Convict and Rehabilitate & Resettle strands - while quite distinct in their focus - are not mutually exclusive and should be conducted in parallell. Work to address the criminogenic needs of PPOs under Rehabilitate & Resettle should not cease because an inidividual is being targeted under Catch & Convict.
Guidance
Initial Catch and Convict Framework Guidance - Covering letter 
(Portable Document Format 104KB)
Initial Catch and Convict Framework Guidance (Portable Document Format 217KB)
Annexes
Supplementary Annex to Catch and Convict Framework (Portable Document Format 178KB)
Supplemental guidance: Removal of PPOs from schemes
Covering letter (Portable Document Format 144KB)
Guidance for removal of PPOs from schemes (Portable Document Format 88KB)
CJS Premium Service Specification
The Prolific and Other Priority Offender (PPO) national specification for the premium service was developed at the request of the National Criminal Justice Board to ensure a more consistent and comprehensive approach by the criminal justice agencies to dealing with PPOs. The specification represents a challenging but achievable set of standards for Local Criminal Justice Boards to implement by March 2006 at the latest.
Premium Service Specification 
(Portable Document Format 210KB)
The ‘PPO Programme - 2 years on’ letter
This is a joint letter from Moira Wallace, Director General, Home Office Crime Reduction and Community Safety Group, Helen Edwards, Acting Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service and Jane Furniss, Acting Chief Executive of Office for Criminal Justice Reform. The letter reiterates their continued support for the Programme overall, and announces the move to quarterly reporting for the PPO Performance Management Framework.
PPO Programme '2 years on' letter (Portable Document Format 126KB)
Guidance on Cross-Scheme Offending
This guidance is intended to help schemes and key partner agencies involved in the PPO Programme to tackle the problems associated with those PPOs who offend in areas other than the locality in which they live and in which they are registered as a PPO.
Guidance on Cross-Scheme Offending 
(Microsoft Word Document 419KB)
Last update: Monday, April 27, 2009