Working effectively and efficiently to bring offences to justice

By 2011, the CPS will bring a greater proportion of serious and priority offences to justice; more cases will succeed because the legal decision-making will improve; and more cases will succeed because of excellent administrative support for the cases. Conditional cautioning and other diversionary powers will be used for tackling prolific and priority offenders and persistent young offenders to help prevent re-offending.

This will be done by improving the performance in magistrates' courts, handling cases from start to finish, and being proactive in managing cases.

The CPS will choose the right disposal to prevent re-offending, tackle the most serious crimes locally, nationally and internationally, and tackle local crime and disorder which impacts adversely on communities. It will handle all cases professionally and appropriately to deliver a consistent, tailored, high-quality service.

Championing justice and the rights of victims and witnesses

By 2011, because of improvements in the service we give, more victims and witnesses will attend court to give their best evidence. The CPS will provide excellent support to them from the point of charge. It will be meeting its obligations to victims and witnesses in line with its revised victim and witness strategy; victim and witness satisfaction with the service provided as part of the CJS (as measured by Witness and Victim Experience Survey – WAVES) will have increased. There will also be a decrease in unsuccessful outcomes in cases involving violence against women.

This will be done by supporting victims and witnesses through the development of an integrated victim and witness strategy. The CPS will ensure that its prosecutors respect and stand up for the rights of victims. It will focus on the needs of women and children who are victims and witnesses, and enhance the service to families of victims of murder and manslaughter by helping to ensure that their voices are heard in court.

Inspiring confidence in the communities it serves

By 2011, the communities will see the CPS as an organisation which involves them constructively in key decisions on the prosecution business; the public will know more about what the CPS does and be confident that it is done well. More hate crime prosecutions will be successful; £250 million of assets will have been taken from criminals; and there will be significantly reduced disproportionality based on identity or community membership in its decision-making.

This will be done by the CPS being accountable to the public for its decisions. It will engage with communities, working alongside its criminal justice partners, and deliver community justice. It will improve performance on hate crimes and deprive criminals of the proceeds of crime by confiscating assets from criminals to show that crime does not pay.

Working in partnerships to serve the public

By 2011, the partners who work with the CPS will agree that it has improved its service to them and the public. It will do so by improving partnerships and developing ‘Prosecution Team’ relationships with the police and working more closely with the courts to deliver swift, effective, appropriate justice. It will also play a leading role on the National Criminal Justice Board (NCJB), the Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) and other national and local strategic partnerships including liaison with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) to ensure that it plays its part in identifying and tackling local priorities. It will influence legislation and reform, helping to rebalance the CJS in favour of the law-abiding majority, and informing policy making with the practitioner's perspective. It will work to streamline its processes and join up criminal justice using IT, demonstrating its contribution to a more joined up, efficient and effective criminal justice system.

Improving ourselves to improve the service we give

By 2011, the best people will want to work for the CPS and it will be seen as a provider of talent to Whitehall and beyond. The CPS will have improved its performance against the Cabinet Office Capability Model (which focuses on the most crucial areas of capability – leadership, strategy and delivery) both in terms of ratings and relative to other government departments.

Its people will show great pride in public service. It will be improving its efficiency and effectiveness by critically reviewing its performance. It will do so by improving the skills and behaviours of its leaders and managers. It will maximise the advantages of a new, flexible management structure. It will deliver and utilise the benefits from change. It will make the best use of resources by delivering its efficiency plans; it will continue to be an employer of choice. It will tackle inequality and value diversity; it will build its learning and skills by making continuous professional development the norm for all its people.