On Tuesday 7 November, the government set its legislative agenda for the next Parliamentary session, announcing a total of 21 Bills. Of those, three focussed specifically on the criminal justice system. Below, we set out some of the key measures that were proposed as part of those pieces of legislation. More details about these Bills, and all the others announced in the speech, can be found in the government’s Background Briefing Notes.

Clinks CEO, Anne Fox, provides her thoughts on the statement made by the Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk, announcing a range of measures to reduce the pressure on prison places.

The news that the government will be tabling legislation allowing it to rent prison spaces abroad has caused considerable concern across the voluntary sector. There is widespread disappointment that these proposals are being considered when other measures to reduce the population pressures, such as early release schemes and diversion programmes, are not being considered with the same priority.

This blog outlines discussions held between HMPPS, MoJ and Clinks at June's commissioning engagement forum.

This blog looks at the evidence for social prescribing, the approach being taken to support its growth across prisons and probation, and how you can get involved.

The State of the sector survey 2023 is here! Read why you should make your voice heard.

In this guest blog, Simon Scott, Post Graduate Researcher at Nottingham Trent University, looks at the challenges facing those who have aged considerably in prison.

At Clinks, an important part of our work is the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group. The group is one of the key ways that we support our members to influence officials on prison and probation policy, by providing a forum for senior leaders from the voluntary sector to comment on the Ministry of Justice’s work. The following blog will explain how you can utilise the group to support your advocacy work.

In this guest blog, Andy Keen-Downs, CEO of Pact, highlights the crucial role that family and carers play in supporting people in prison who are suffering from poor mental or physical health. Involving them more proactively in prison healthcare would help to deliver safer prisons, reduce reoffending and save taxpayers’ money.

When we begin the journey of influencing in Parliament, we often think about working with MPs to bring about change. But it is important to remember that the authority to make law in the UK has three parts: the Monarch, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. The following blog explores the meaningful role the House of Lords can play in your influencing strategy.