We stimulate thought and action on alternatives to our current overreliance on policing, prosecution and punishment, working with others to effect positive change.

Our recent work under this priority includes:

  • We established a coalition, called Community Plan for Holloway, of hundreds of individuals and organisations around the closed Holloway women’s prison in North London. This included working with the local MP, the London Mayor, councillors, community groups and residents, making the case for the local community to have a say in the redevelopment of the site. Some of the materials we produced are included with this application. The campaign was instrumental in ensuring a commitment to a high proportion of affordable homes on the site. In March 2019 we set up a new organisation – The Community Plan – to continue this work.
  • Over several years, our Justice Matters initiative worked in collaboration with a range of individuals and organisations committed to downsizing fundamentally the criminal justice system in the United Kingdom and to rebuilding policy and practice approaches so that many current criminal justice responses are not required at all. The initiative informed the development of our Community Plan for Holloway project, as well as our current After Prison programme.

Work under this priority

Project

After prison

Our long-term project guided by a simple proposition: there is always a better use for a piece of land than as a place for a prison.

Project

Short prison sentencing

This project aims to identify the options, impacts and issues for impactful sentencing reform intended to reduce the use of short prison sentences.

Project

Time for change

We are developing a partnership with prison experts, researchers, campaigners and policy specialists, to make the case for a smaller prison system.

Project

Young adult safety

Many young adults face the fear, or the reality, of violence in their lives.