Criminal Justice Hub
Criminal Justice Hub
Clear, practical information about the criminal justice system in England and Wales.
What do you need to do?
Use any of these links to go straight to guidance or resources. You do not need to choose a group or create an account.
Accused, convicted or sentenced
Understand your rights, find legal help and prepare for what happens next in your case.
Family, friends and the public
Find practical guidance to support someone, arrange a prison visit or understand the criminal justice system.
Professionals and researchers
Find forms, policies and data to support your work and research across the criminal justice system.
More ways to find help
Supporting children and young people
Find guidance on children’s rights, support and care at each stage of the criminal justice system.
Victims of crime
Find support, understand your rights and get help with what happens next after a crime.
Guidance
Browse guidance by topic
Choose a topic to find clear, practical information about that part of the criminal justice system.
Victims of crime
Safety, support, reporting a crime, case updates and your rights.
Police and being arrested
Arrest, custody, interviews, charging and police complaints.
Courts and sentencing
Court hearings, people in court, outcomes and sentencing.
Prison guidance
Preparing for prison, daily life, visits, rights and family support.
Release and probation
Community sentences, probation, licence, recall and preparing for release.
Legal aid
Find legal help and understand possible routes to advice.
Criminal records
Disclosure, records, checks and how convictions may affect you.
Tools and resources
Tools, forms and research
Find forms, offence codes, policy sources and population data for professional work and research. These resources are open to everyone.
Directory
Legal aid providers
Search Legal Aid Agency provider offices by location and area of law.
Forms library
MG forms
Find Manual of Guidance forms and understand when each form is used.
Professional reference
Offence classifications
Search active CJS offence codes, titles, legislation and source classifications.
Policy library
Prison and probation policies
Browse prison and probation policy frameworks, Prison Service Instructions and Prison Service Orders.
Reference
Criminal justice acronyms
Search abbreviations and specialist terms used across the criminal justice system.
Data dashboard
Prison population dashboard
Compare published prison population and capacity measures, with source dates, definitions and downloads.
Latest criminal justice news
A selection of recent updates from justice organisations.
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Help and safety
About Criminal Justice Hub
Information about criminal justice in England and Wales, with guidance, support routes and reference resources.
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