This is the latest in our series of posts on the Spending Review with Reform. A list
of previous posts can be found here.
What is the budget?
The UK has one of the most expensive criminal justice systems in the world, spending a higher proportion of GDP than any other country in the OECD. Total spending on crime amounted to £23 billion for 2009-10. However, recent research suggests that total government spending on public order and safety amounts to more than £31 billion overall.
Aside from central government funding, police authorities receive funding from the police, raised locally through council tax. In 2009-10 this amounted to just under a quarter of all police funding, or £3.1 billion a year, although there is significant variation between areas.
Where does the money go?
Criminal justice spending is primarily focused in three areas – the police force, the prison and probation services and HM Courts.
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