Publication

Policy, purpose and pragmatism

By 
Helen Mills
Wednesday, 10 June 2009

This report explores the experiences of voluntary and community organisations that are predominantly working with black young people affected by crime in England.

Based on interviews with individuals from 16 VCOs, providers' accounts are discussed in relation to three main issues:

  • The explicit role of ethnicity in voluntary and community work
  • Providers' presentation of the outcomes and benefits of their approach
  • Providers' attitudes to resourcing their work and the implications of their funding environment.
  • These accounts are considered in a wider policy context in which VCOs have been identified as having an important role in addressing the over-representation of black young people in the criminal justice system.

This project was funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust.