ABSTRACT
Multi-agency systems for the risk assessment and management of offenders came into existence in the early 1990s, and were typified by ‘case conferencing’ style procedures between police and probation (the West Yorkshire police and probation area were one of the first to pursue this approach, see Maguire et al. 2001; see also Nash and Williams 2008: 109-12 for a history). Such arrangements were locally variable, and in some instances included other agencies such as social services and housing departments. Their development reflected growing preoccupation and widespread concern with child sexual abuse, and the spectre of the predatory paedophile gained currency during this period (Thomas 2005), fuelled by the release of notorious paedophiles Sydney Cooke and Robert Oliver and the subsequent media coverage (Daily Mail, 24 June 1998, p. 2; Guardian, 4 April 1998, p. 10). The main focus in this chapter is on MAPPA and community protection in respect of sex offenders, although violent offenders are beginning to comprise a large proportion of the MAPPA caseload and are presenting significant challenges to practice and procedures (see, for example, Nash and Williams 2008).
