MAPPA: A Basic Guide

1.1 The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA 2003) requires the establishment of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in each of the 42 criminal justice areas in England and Wales. They are designed to protect the public, including previous victims of crime, from serious harm by those convicted of sexual, violent and terrorist offences. They require local criminal justice agencies and other bodies working with these individuals to work together to assess and manage the risk presented.

1.2 MAPPA are not a statutory body; they are a process that enables agencies to discharge their statutory responsibilities more effectively to protect the public in a co-ordinated manner. Agencies retain their full statutory responsibilities and obligations at all times and these must not be compromised by MAPPA. No agency should feel pressured to agree to a course of action that they consider to be in conflict with their statutory obligations and wider responsibility for public protection.

Equality and Diversity

1.3 MAPPA agencies must be free from discrimination and committed to equal access to services for all groups, particularly in relation to those with characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. Agencies will also uphold their obligations which are set out in the Public Sector Equality Duty. All policies, procedures and actions undertaken or recommended by MAPPA agencies will be based on assessed risk and need. They will tackle bias, avoid stereotypes and strive to carry out their actions in a procedurally just way.

1.4 In undertaking their work, MAPPA agencies will be sensitive and responsive to individual differences and needs. They will integrate this understanding into the delivery of their functions to ensure that nobody is disadvantaged under MAPPA as a result of belonging to a specific group. Each area must establish policies and take action to ensure that issues of equity (e.g. tailoring actions so they are informed by the needs of specific groups/individuals), equality (e.g. applying the same actions irrespective of particular protected characteristics) and diversity are addressed.