CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network), the social action arm of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, has released a series of questions for Catholics to consider asking their local candidates, four weeks ahead of the November 15 Police and Crime Commissioner Elections.

The initiative, part of CSAN’s criminal justice project, includes questions about what candidates will do to tackle domestic violence, promote restorative justice and prevent young people from becoming involved in Crime.

Chris Driscoll, who oversees the organisation’s criminal justice work said: “Police and Crime Commissioners will have significant responsibilities in shaping their local force’s priorities and budget. As Catholics involved in social action we should be using this as a key opportunity to raise some of the issues that matter to us: addressing the horrors of domestic abuse; finding innovative ways to reduce youth crime; and exploring restorative justice programmes that will actually help to move offenders away from criminality rather than trapping them in an ongoing cycle between prison and a life of crime.”

CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) is the official social action agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

The proposed questions are:

If elected, how will you take ongoing account of local views (including those of victims and ex-offenders) on policing and crime reduction?

How do you propose to tackle domestic violence in the area and ensure that adequate support is in place for victims?

What are your views on restorative justice and how do you plan to make use of it in the area?

What are your plans for preventing young people from becoming involved crime, and rehabilitating those who are already?

For more informnation see: www.csan.org.uk