The Criminal Justice Order (NI) 2008 created the Public Protection Arrangements for Northern Ireland (PPANI).
PPANI enables agencies to work together to enhance public protection and provide effective assessment and management of the risks posed by certain sexual and violent individuals.
There are a number of agencies involved including Probation Board for Northern Ireland, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Health and Social Care Trusts, Northern Ireland Prison Service and Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Probation Area Managers Chair the Local Area Public Protection Panels (LAPPP), the operational part of PPANI. Each LAPPP has a multi-agency approach with representatives from Probation, the Police, and Social Services. LAPPPs take place regularly throughout Northern Ireland to enable agencies to share information, assess an individual’s level of risk and draw up a risk management plan to minimise the likelihood of the individual committing further offences.
Probation also jointly manage the Public Protection Team; provide treatment programmes/interventions for individuals who have been convicted of sexual or violent offences and are subject to statutory supervision; Chair the Policy and Practice Sub Group of PPANI and help deliver training to multi-agency staff involved in PPANI process.
You can find out more information on the Public Protection Arrangements in Northern Ireland (PPANI) website.