Independent Inquiries

The Independent Inquiry into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

In 1997, nearly 30 years after the main legislation controlling the misuse of drugs in the UK (The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971) was passed, the Runciman Inquiry was set up. Its members considered the changes that had taken place in society since the legislation was passed, in order to assess whether the law should be revised in order to make it more effective and responsive. The final report was published in 2000. It made a number of proposals and also examined the implications of those proposals.

Members of the Inquiry (pdf)	Terms of Reference (pdf)
Report: Table of Contents (pdf)	Overview (pdf)
Summary of Recommendations (pdf)

The Independent Inquiry into the Alternatives to Custody

As part of the Rethinking Crime and Punishment project, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation set up an independent inquiry to examine alternatives to imprisonment. Chaired by Lord Coulsfield, it considered over 120 submissions, published a comprehensive review of the literature and conducted regional consultation meetings, arranged by the Royal Society of Arts, in Nottingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh. The full report of the inquiry was published in 2004.

The Inquiry Team (pdf)	Terms of Reference (pdf)
Report of the Inquiry into Alternatives to Custody (pdf)
Executive Summary and Recommendations (pdf)

The Independent Inquiry into the Roles and Responsibilities of the Police

The Foundation's first Inquiry was set up in collaboration with the Policy Studies Institute to examine independently the role and responsibilities of the police in order to initiate debate, raise public awareness and understanding and give greater coherence to the police service's strategic and tactical decisions.  The Inquiry's report was published in 1993.

The Inquiry Team (pdf)	Terms of Reference (pdf)
Report of the Inquiry

The Police Foundation and the Policy Studies Institute also commissioned a follow up to the inquiry in 1996:
Themes in Contemporary Policing (link to PSI website)
Collated and edited by William Saulsbury, Joy Mott & Tim Newburn