EVIDENCE about crime, criminals and the causes of crime gathered by York University researchers is to be used by Government Ministers in deciding future policy.

The researchers will be working with nearby organisations such as North Yorkshire probation officers and Full Sutton Prison to build up a bank of information which can be used by top national decision-makers.

At the moment, when Ministers are looking at how effective a particular sentence is, or whether a certain way of dealing with offenders is working, there are often gaps in the evidence available. Researchers at the new Centre for Criminal Justice, Economics and Psychology in York, based at Wentworth College, hope to change all that by filling in the gaps in existing research.

They hope their work will tell the Home Office what works and what doesn't, and also what different approaches cost.

The centre was opened yesterday by Home Office minister, Keith Bradley, a former student of the university.

He said the Government had two main aims - to reduce crime, the fear of crime and to tackle the causes of crime; and to dispense justice fairly and to promote confidence in how the justice system works.

The Government is currently reviewing how different sentences work after commissioning the Halliday Report.

Mr Bradley said: "Currently there is no common means of making comparisons among different sentencing options and which penalties are more effective for different offenders. The centre's research will link directly into the findings of the Halliday Report.

"We have made some progress towards evidence-based work on crime reduction and prevention. We see the centre as adding to that work.

"I am delighted that York University has been chosen for this work."

Professor Cynthia McDougall, director of the centre, said one of the first areas the centre was looking at, in partnership with North Yorkshire probation officers, was why women committed crime,

"We're looking at why some women get into crime and why others don't," she said.

The centre will also be looking at more dangerous offenders through work with Full Sutton Prison. She said the centre would also be looking at the concerns of the community - both victims of crime and people who were frightened of crime.

Mr Bradley said the partnership between psychology and economics researchers and local organisations, mirrored the approach the Government was trying to take in working together with different departments when looking at crime issues.

"We want to ensure not only do we put out the fire, but that we try and stop the blaze starting in the first instance," he said.

Updated: 12:30 Friday, September 21, 2001