USEFUL GOVERNMENT WEBSITES

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is a ministerial department of government supported by 32 agencies and public bodies. Its work is to protect the public, reduce reoffending and to provide a more effective, transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. Information about government policy, legislation, statistics, information about prisons and probation, research and government reports can be found on this site.

Crime, justice and the law on the main GOV.UK website has sections on prisons and probation, your rights and the law, and young people and the law.

National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is responsible for managing public sector prisons and probation services in England and Wales. Their long-term priority is to support the justice system and prevent future victims by cutting crimes and reducing re-offending.

YJB (Youth Justice Board)  The YJB oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales. It works to prevent offending and re-offending by children and young people under the age of 18, to ensure that custody for them is safe and secure and to address the causes of their offending behaviour.

VOLUNTARY AND FAITH BASED ORGANISATIONS AND CHARITIES A‒Z

 

Action for Prisoners’ Families
Action for Prisoners’ and Offenders Families, part of Family Lives, promotes the needs of families affected by imprisonment and supports professionals working with them through resources and training.

 

Caring for Ex-Offenders – Sponsor

Caring for Ex-Offenders connects individuals leaving prison with local church communities in the area to which they are resettling. The central team based at Holy Trinity Brompton trains new volunteers for local teams throughout the year and holds termly support evenings.

Churches Criminal Justice Forum

The primary purpose of the CCJF is to uphold Christian values in the field of criminal justice. It does this by sharing information about Christian-based activities and criminal justice initiatives, raising awareness of community justice concerns in local churches, engaging with politicians and developing dialogue on criminal justice with other faiths. CCJF is a network of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

 

Clean Sheet – Sponsor

Clean Sheet is a Christian charity – empowering local churches and employers to support prisoners and ex-offenders into the world of work by offering a unique 3-Step Pathway from prison to employment.

 

Clinks supports, represents and campaigns for the voluntary sector working with offenders and their families. It has core funding from the Ministry of Justice to help inform and support its work and maintains a Directory of Offenders’ Services listing hundreds of organisations, large and small, involved in working with offenders and their families.

 

Community Chaplaincy Association – Sponsor

Community Chaplaincies are independent faith based voluntary organisations working alongside prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families, offering mentoring and holistic support within prison, through the gates and out in the community.

 

Howard League for Penal Reform

The Howard League for Penal Reform is the oldest penal reform charity in the UK. It was established in 1866 and is named after John Howard, one of the first prison reformers. A national charity, it works for less crime, safer communities and fewer people in prison by legal work, campaigning, influencing and research.

International Prison Chaplains’ Association

IPCA helps Christian Prison Chaplains everywhere to be in touch with each other to be more effective in their ministry. It also aims to support all chaplains regardless of race, gender and religion.

 

Langley House Trust  (including Kainos Community) – Sponsor

Langley House Trust is a national charity which delivers offender rehabilitation services across England, supporting adult offenders and those at risk of offending – enabling them to make positive life changes and live crime-free.  It is established on Christian principles and foundations but their services are for anyone – those with faith or no faith. Kainos Community is part of Langley House Trust and delivers the Challenge to Change programme in prisons in England.

 

Nacro is a large national charity tackling crime prevention and reduction through a range of services including advice and guidance, health, housing, education, access to employment. It works to give ex-offenders, disadvantaged people and deprived communities the help they need to build a better future.

 

PACT – Sponsor

Pact is a national charity which supports people affected by imprisonment. We provide practical and emotional support to prisoners’ children and families, and to prisoners themselves.

 

Prison Fellowship – Sponsor

Prison Fellowship mobilises volunteers from the Christian community, through prayer, practical care and values-based programmes, such as the Sycamore Tree, to restore all those affected by crime. Its services are provided to all who request them, regardless of their religious beliefs. Volunteers from local Prison Fellowship prayer groups support prisoners by visiting, befriending and giving practical help, as well as helping with chapel services and discussion groups.

 

Prison Reform Trust 

The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) is an independent UK charity working to create a just, humane and effective penal system. It does this by inquiring into the workings of the system; informing prisoners, staff and the wider public; and by influencing Parliament, government and officials towards reform. PRT also produces the comprehensive Bromley Briefing factfile, available on their website.

 

Prisoners Abroad 

Prisoners Abroad is a human rights and welfare charity providing humanitarian aid, expert advice and emotional support to 4,000 people a year affected by overseas imprisonment. We deliver specialist help to people during their incarceration, and help their family and friends cope with the trauma. When prisoners return to the UK we find them a home, provide survival grants and help them back into work. We are the only charity dedicated to helping this vulnerable and often overlooked group of people.

 

Reflex – Sponsor

Reflex exists to empower children, young people and young adults to break the cycle of offending and reoffending.  Working in 5 regions, we equip them with the skills, character and confidence to realise their full potential.

 

Restorative Justice Council

The Restorative Justice Council (RJC) promotes quality restorative practice for everyone. Its role is to set and champion clear standards for restorative practice, to raise public awareness and confidence in restorative processes as a means of resolving conflict and promoting reconciliation.

 

Spurgeons – Sponsor

Founded almost 150 years ago, Spurgeons is a children’s charity working across England to support children, young people and their families, including the Prisons Visiting Service across seven London prisons and Invisible Walls in HMP Winchester.

 

St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVP)

SVP is an international Christian voluntary organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. It addresses social and material need in England and Wales in all its many forms. It is active in prison visiting and in supporting prisoners’ families.

 

Victim Support 
Victim Support is the independent charity for victims and witnesses of crime in England and Wales. As well as a national helpline, it runs local projects which tackle domestic violence, anti-social behaviour and hate crime;  help children and young people; and deliver restorative justice. Its services are free and available to everyone, whether or not the crime has been reported and regardless of when it happened.

What Can I Do? 

Originally produced by Pact and the Churches’ Criminal Justice Forum, What Can I Do? is a guide to volunteering in the criminal justice system. The latest edition was updated by the Prison Reform Trust and Pact in 2013 and is available here.