Charities and Pressure groups

• Prison Reform Trust - Strengths

  • 1981 Independent UK charity. Create humane and effective penal system
  • Inform and influence public debate on prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners amidst concerns about a projected prison population 48,000 by 1984
  • England and Wales now exceeding 82,00 and projected to rise to 86,4000 by 2023
  • Few organisations willing and equipped to hold the state to account for its treatment for vulnerable people in prison
• Prison Reform Trust - Strengths

  1. Reducing unecessary imprisonment and promoting community solutions to crime
  2. Improving treatment and conditions for prisoners and their families
  3. Promoting equity and human rights in the justice system

  Aims to reduce imprisonment and improve conditions for prisoners and their families. Influencing Parliament, Government and officials towards reform
• Howard League for Penal Reform - Strengths

  • National charity working for less crime, safe communities and fewer people in prison
  • Work with parliament and media, with criminal justice professionals, students and members of the public, influencing debate and forcing through meaningful change to create safer communities
• Howard League for Penal Reform - Strengths

  • Transforming prisons, reducing child arrests, promoting the real work in custody. Legal service for children and young people in custody
  • Shape the law for children and young people
  • Entirety independent of government and is funded by voluntary decision and membership subscriptions
• Howard League for Penal Reform - Strengths

  • 2010, launched its programme to reduce child arrests, which has helped to reduce child arrests to 71,885 in 2019, a massive reduction from 245,763 in 2010
  • Every police in England and Wales has reduced the number of child arrests between 2010 and 2019, with 18 forces achieving reductions of 75% or more
  • 2019 saw a concerning creep upwards in 2022 forces, resulting in a small national for the first time since 2020
• Prison Reform Trust - Weaknesses

  • Few organisations willing and equipped to hold the state to account for its treatment of vulnerable people in prison
  • Prison population in England and Wales exceeding 82,000 and projected to rise to 86,400 by 2023
• Howard League for Penal Reform - Weaknesses

  • Funded by voluntary donations and membership subscriptions
  • Majority of forces continue to see reductions or are maintaining the low numbers achieved