Letter to party leaders urging reasoned public debate

Our Director, Richard Garside, is a signatory in a letter to party leaders across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland calling for constructive discussion, debate and policies around criminal justice issues in the lead up to the general election. 

The signatories request that party leaders be careful not to reinforce the damaging narrative around criminality and instead to base public debate on the Ministry of Justice's own evidence on desistance. They urge leaders to show sensitivity, recognise what people can contribute to their communities and focus on hope instead of scare stories.