Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA)

What is MAPPA?

Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) support the assessment and management of serious sexual and violent offenders. MAPPA grew out of the closer working relationship that developed between the police and probation (and latterly other agencies) in the late 1990s.

Sections 67 and 68 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act (2000) first placed these arrangements on a statutory footing. Sections 325-327 of the Criminal Justice Act (2003) re-enacted and strengthened those provisions.

The legislation requires the police, prison and probation services (acting jointly as the Responsible Authority) to:

• establish arrangements for assessing and managing the risks posed by sexual and violent offenders;
• review and monitor the arrangements; and, as part of the reviewing and monitoring arrangements;
• prepare and publish an annual report on their operation.
• The Act gives the Secretary of State powers to determine what information should be included in the annual reports and issue Guidance to the Responsible Authorities.  The consolidated MAPPA Guidance was issued in April 2003. 

The MAPPA Offenders

There are principally three categories of offender who fall within the MAPPA:

• Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs), that is those sexual offenders required to register under the terms of the Sex Offenders Act (1997) and its amendments;
• violent offenders and those sexual offenders who are not required to register;
• and any other offender who, because of the offences committed by them (wherever they have been committed) are considered to pose a risk of serious harm to the public.

More Information

The following documentation provides more detailed information about MAPPA:

Download Related Documents:

Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Guidance - MAPPA Guidance 2023