Joint Collaboration. 3.1. NOMS, the police and CPS are committed to ensuring that there is effective communication between our organisations and will engage regularly in the first instance at local level to discuss areas of mutual interest and concern, performance and working practices. 3.2. A national group comprising representatives from NOMS, CPS and ACPO will monitor implementation of the protocol, directing further work to be undertaken where required. Other relevant bodies may be invited to attend as necessary. 3.3. NOMS, the police and the CPS will ensure that there are appropriate local and regional contacts within each organisation in order to facilitate local and regional communication. 3.4. Prisoners will be produced to the court or to the police for interview where required. Prisons will keep the police and CPS informed of any changes in the location of an individual involved in a CPS prosecution. This will assist in updating a witness who is a prisoner on the progress of the case or, if the prisoner is a defendant, allow the relevant production order to be directed to the correct prison in order for the defendant to be produced at court or via a video link facility (see also 8.1) where this is appropriate. 3.5. At local level there will be effective liaison on intelligence matters between each prison establishment and the police through the police appointed Prison Intelligence Officer and on general matters through established links between prison security and local police as well as between prison management and police commanders. 3.6. In addition, prison establishments, or a representative of prison establishments in an area, will engage with local Community Safety Partnerships to ensure that particular crime and disorder problems occurring within a prison are considered as part of the crime prevention strategies developed for the local community. 3.7. The Operational Partnership Team2 at NOMS HQ will act as a central point of contact for prisons, the CPS and the police with the aim of helping to resolve queries and difficulties arising from the operation of this protocol that cannot be resolved at a local level (see para 12). 3.8. The CPS Director’s Guidance on ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ sets out arrangements prescribed by the Director of Public Prosecutions for the joint working of police officers and prosecutors during the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases. The police do not have to refer every case to the CPS, although certain specified cases do require referral to the CPS for a charging decision as set out in the Guidance. The police can also seek full and early advice where the case is complex or involves challenging issues. However specific cases involving a death, rape or other serious sexual assault should always be referred to the CPS as early as possible and in any case once a suspect has been identified and it appears that continuing the investigation will provide evidence for a charging decision. 3.9. Arrangements for full and early consultation in these most serious and complex cases will be agreed locally between Police and CPS. Referral arrangements in other cases will be to CPS Direct.
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