Letter to Home Secretary regarding the criminal justice system

Dear Home Secretary,

I am writing to express grave concern about the state of our criminal justice system and the growing damage it is causing to victims, communities, public confidence and frontline policing.

The warning signs are no longer theoretical. Sir Brian Leveson’s recent independent review warned that the criminal justice system is at risk of collapse. Record court delays, overcrowded prisons and mounting pressure on policing are creating a system that increasingly fails victims whilst eroding public trust in justice. This system has been weakened by years of inaction from the previous Government and now a failure to act from the current Government.

I want to draw your attention to a local case – the assault on PC Ryan Davis, a serving officer in West Mercia Police.

I have spoken publicly about this case locally and have been pleased to see it receive national attention, because it highlights serious issues that demand wider scrutiny and action from those with the authority to address them.

PC Davis was violently assaulted whilst on duty on Good Friday 2024. He suffered a dislocated and broken ankle, a broken lower leg, multiple fractures and facial injuries, including damage to an eye, after being punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled to the point of unconsciousness. The physical and psychological impact of this attack will remain with him for life.

Yet despite the shocking violence involved, the justice system has failed him.

One attacker was released under the Home Detention Curfew Scheme after serving just three months of a 46‑month sentence. Another offender involved is expected to be released imminently under the same arrangements.

To the public, this is hard to comprehend. When violent offenders are serving only a fraction of their sentence, confidence in the justice system will inevitably be undermined.

PC Davis didn’t just face an injustice from a shortened sentence, but the case was further impacted by significant court delays, with plea negotiations introduced in part to avoid the trial being adjourned until December 2027. Victims should not have to accept compromised outcomes because the justice system lacks the capacity to function effectively.

However, this is not simply about one case. It reflects a wider and deeply concerning shift where system pressures are beginning to outweigh the principles of justice, accountability and public protection.

My concerns are heightened further by the forthcoming Sentencing Act reforms and the proposed Earned Progression Model, due to be introduced from Autumn 2026.

Under these proposals, many offenders serving Standard Determinate Sentences may become eligible for release after serving as little as one third of their sentence in custody, with the remainder served in the community.

Whilst I recognise the pressure facing the prison estate, it’s not good enough and something needs to change. Otherwise, there is a real danger that the public will increasingly view sentencing as meaningless if the punishment handed down in court bears little resemblance to the time actually served.

For victims already enduring long investigations, years of court delays and immense emotional strain, the prospect of offenders being released even earlier risks destroying what little confidence remains in the criminal justice process.

At the same time, these policies transfer ever greater risk into communities and onto policing. As more offenders are managed through licence conditions, bail and early-release arrangements, police forces are expected to absorb additional demand without the necessary increase in resources, capacity or infrastructure.

If meaningful reform and investment do not accompany these changes, we risk reaching a point where victims lose faith, communities lose confidence and policing is left carrying the consequences of a justice system that the public no longer believes delivers justice.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns further and urge the Government to fully recognise the growing impact these policies are having on victims, public safety and confidence in the rule of law.

Yours sincerely,

PCC John Campion