Every day thousands of people are involved in tackling the crime challenges in this area. They do a tremendous job and the role of the Criminal Justice Board is to ensure that they are able to provide the best and most effective service to our local communities.
The Criminal Justice Board's task is to harness the collective resources, expertise and energies of our organisations to bring more offenders to justice, to support victims of crime and witnesses.... and to provide rehabilitation services which persuade people to turn away from a criminal lifestyle.
Board Members
Gerry Wareham, Chair Cleveland Criminal Justice Board and Chief Crown Prosecutor for Cleveland.
Gerry Wareham joined the Crown Prosecution Service in London as a caseworker in May 1986. He was sponsored to complete his Bar finals and called to the Bar in 1988. He worked as a Prosecutor and team leader until promoted to Branch Crown Prosecutor in 1996, and was part of the Area Management Team in London until 2000.
In November 2000 Gerry joined the Casework Directorate, as head of one of the northern branches in York, and as such managed a team of lawyers and caseworkers responsible for the review of some of the most complex and sensitive cases within the CPS. Gerry was the lead CPS lawyer for the prosecution following the Selby train crash.
Following the re-organisation of the Directorate, Gerry joined the Organised Crime Division as head of the northern unit, working alongside the newly formed Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). SOCA was created as a unified agency to reduce the harm caused to the UK by level 3 cross border crime, such as drugs and arms importation, human trafficking and money laundering. The unit rapidly established an excellent and effective partnership with SOCA and successfully prosecuted many career criminals, ensuring substantial sentences and stripping them of any assets derived from their criminal lifestyle.
CPS North East
Matt Spencer, Vice Chair Cleveland Criminal Justice Board and Governor for Her Majesty's Prison Holme House.
Matt joined the Prison Service at HMP Leeds on 16 November 1987. He served as a Catering Officer at HMYOI Glen Parva before being promoted to Senior Officer Caterer at HMP Kirklevington. He then re-graded to a Discipline Senior Officer and has served at the following establishments; Holme House, Durham, Standards Audit Unit and Holloway in various grades before being promoted to a Senior Manager B and taking up post as Governor of Castington. Matt took up post as Governor in charge at Holme House in January 2006. During his career he has gained academic achievements culminating in a BA Honours Degree.
HM Prison Service
Dave Pickard, Assistant Chief Constable for Cleveland Police.
Dave Pickard started his policing career with Cambridgeshire Police in 1984, and then moved to the North East in 1987 where he joined Durham Constabulary and was posted to Darlington.
Dave spent time in Peterlee and Consett in both operational and CID roles before being posted back to Darlington as an Inspector. He was then promoted to Chief Inspector in 1998 to a Headquarters role within Durham Constabulary's Force Inspectorate. He then moved back to Peterlee as Chief Inspector Operations. In 2002 he joined Cleveland Police as Superintendent in charge of Operations at Stockton District and in 2004 he took over as Chief Superintendent in charge of Stockton District. In 2006 he moved to Headquarters to head up the Force's Operation Performance Team and then in 2007 Dave was asked to act up as Assistant with a portfolio of Territorial Operations. In July 2008, still as Temporary Assistant Chief Constable, he took responsibility for the portfolio if crime and operations. Dave was appointed Assistant Chief Constable in May 2008.
Dave holds a degree in Criminology from Northumbria University and outside of work is a keen motorcyclist
Sheila Proudlock, Area Director for Her Majesty's Court Service
Sheila Proudlock commenced work for the Lord Chancellor's Department in the House of Lords in 1978, before moving onto various HQ appointments, and a secondment in the Cabinet Office (Scrutiny of Legal Aid). Sheila has held various posts north and south of the country before settling in the north east at the end of 1998.
Sheila was appointed Area Director for the recently amalgamated Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria area in April 2007. Sheila has administrative responsibility for the Crown Court, County and Magistrates' Courts within the regional area.
HMCS
Sandra Mitchell Acting Head of Service, South Tees Youth Offending Service
Sandra has worked in the public sector for the past 18 years and is a qualified probation officer. Sandra joined South Tees Youth Offending Service at its inception 10 years ago and progressed from seconded probation officer to Acting Head of Service.
Sandra takes an active interest in local issues and up until recently was a parent governor of the local comprehensive school. When Sandra is not working she enjoys supporting her 14 year old son and his friends in the Junior Football League.
Youth Justice Board
John Binks, North East Relationship Manager for the Legal Services Commission
John has been with the Legal Services Commission since 2000, prior to that he was a Crown Prosecutor, a solicitor in private practice specialising in crime and served with HM Forces.
Whilst with the Commission John has worked in a number of roles most recently as national head of Provider Readiness and Training, in his current role John is responsible for Whole System Reform for the North of England. Central to this role is identifying and developing initiatives to enable providers of both civil and crime publicly funded services to deliver those services in a manner which is both efficient to them and all partner agencies involved in both the Criminal and Civil Justice Services. As part of this role John currently sits as a member of a number of Local Criminal Justice Boards in the north of England.
Legal Services Commission
Russell Bruce, Chief Executive, Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust
Russell has spent his entire professional career in the Probation Service starting his service in Cleveland in 1982. In 1999 Russell moved on promotion to County Durham as Assistant Chief Officer. Operationally and strategically, there are very few areas of Probation activity in which Russell has not been involved. His career in Cleveland and County Durham has been characterised by high performance and innovation.
Shortly prior to being appointed as Chief Officer in County Durham, Russell has acted as a specialist technical expert to the pre accession EU project for the Czech Republic Probation and Mediation Service (PMS). He was instrumental in developing a Business Effectiveness model for the PMS which has rolled out across the Czech Republic.
As from 1st April 2010, Russell became Chief Executive for Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust.
In his spare time Russell endures the results of his beloved Sunderland Football Club, finances two children through university and enjoys membership of the 'Sons of the Desert' society.
Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust
Sian Jones, Justice Clerk, Her Majesty's Court Service
Sian Jones studied law at Manchester University, then practiced briefly as a barrister in Yorkshire before going into the Magistrates Courts service as an Assistant Justices Clerk (legal adviser). She has worked at several courts in England and Wales and is currently Justices’ Clerk for Hartlepool, Langbaurgh East and Teesside.
Sian was first elected to the Council of the Justices Clerk’s Society in 2007, and, following a period as chair of the Societies Judicial and Procedural Committee, specialising in the anorak end of magistrates courts work, she was elected Vice President in 2010. She currently leads for the Society on Justices Clerks’ judicial powers and fines enforcement, on which she advises the Ministry of Justice from time to time, and is responsible for the development of the Justices Clerks’ Peer Review scheme.
She is an experienced trainer of magistrates and has co-designed training courses for the Judicial Studies Board.
HMCS
Johanna Parks, Divisional Manager Teesside and County Durham, Victim Support.
Johanna Parks joined Victim Support in April 2010 as Divisional Manager with responsibility for a wide range of services within Teesside, County Durham and Darlington. Victim Support are the national charity giving free and confidential help to victims of crime, witnesses, their family, friends and anyone else affected across England and Wales. Johanna is responsible for Victim Support’s Community Services, Witness Services and Victim Care Units within Teesside, County Durham and Darlington.
Johanna's background is within the Voluntary sector in the North East area. Having worked for Redcar and Cleveland Women’s Network; a local Voluntary Development Agency, encouraging development and best practice within the sector; an Academic Research project within the University of Teesside and most recently in area management for the charity WRVS, supporting the social care and health of older people. Based in the North-East for all of her career Johanna graduated from Durham University having studied Social Anthropology.
Victim Support
