Building a new partnership:

We are delighted to announce a new partnership between Clinks and Black Men 4 Change (BM4C). As a core tenet of the recently secured 4-year HMPPS Infrastructure Grant, Black Men 4 Change will bring their considerable expertise in thought leadership, disrupting systems, strategic thinking and convening organisations led by and for racially minoritised people. 

With David Lammy taking up the role of Justice Secretary, this is an opportune time to finally bring the recommendations of the Lammy and Young Reviews to fruition. 

Advocating for change:  

Earlier this year, Black Men 4 Change played a leading role in convening over 70 individuals as part of the RR3’s Reference Group on tackling racial disparities in the criminal justice system. The work culminated in a ‘common sense’ report setting out recommendations designed to reduce disparities in sentencing. The report is only the start and will be used to influence the Government as the sector looks to shape the next stage of the Independent Sentencing Review process. It will also be used to ensure that those disproportionately affected by institutional racism are appropriately commissioned to take the lead in delivering equitable solutions to the justice system's complex challenges. 

BM4C also led on defining the recruitment strategy for the temporary appointment to the race reference position for the RR3, all of which will be reviewed as part of our renewed commitment ensuring this area of acute and under-recognised need is addressed as transparently and equitably as possible.  

Looking forward:

At Clinks, we are clear in terms of where our strengths lie and have set these out in our new strategy – Leading for Change. We lead where we have the expertise to, and the sector needs us to lead. However, we also know when to step back, using our networks to convene specialist organisations, ensuring that their expertise is front and centre of all of their work. Over the course of the next four years, BM4C will play an important part in this connecting and catalysing role, working systemically across sectors to build power through collaboration. 

"We were formed just before lockdown to take a systemic approach to supporting the next generation of leaders and to work harder to ‘succession plan’ and ‘legacy build’ not just in the UK but as a global diaspora. It is the overwhelming feedback from Black communities that has brought us into this toxic space where very little changes for the better. We are here as a critical friend to Clinks and others, so the relationships will be difficult at times for all of us, but we must also hold ourselves to account as Black and global majority professionals because ultimately any change must begin with us, and it will not happen without collective effort and ongoing accountability”.  

Jake Ferguson & Viv Ahmun, BM4C Founder and Co-Founder  

Together, we will hit the ground running. Clinks will be drawing on BM4C’s critical role as critical friend to reshape how we address the issue of race in the criminal justice system, through a broad programme of strategic lobbying for root and branch reform. This will include a review of how racially minoritised communities are consulted. It will also refocus the work of the RR3 Reference Group, centring racially minoritised and lived experience expertise in the consultation process. BM4C will work with us and the sector as a whole to develop a communications plan incorporating regular co-hosted, online and in-person events to support a growing pool of racially minoritised leaders to pursue the strategic goals of the sector. They will actively support Clinks in re-imagining its Race & Justice Network as one that is truly and democratically driven by its members.  

As we enter this exciting and challenging new period, we look forward to building even more connections and ensuring that the voluntary sector working in criminal justice has the voice it needs in order to tackle longstanding disparities in the criminal justice system.