Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 653 | 25th September 2020

Light Lunch

In this week's edition...

    CLINKS BLOG: sentencing white paper - an overview

    On 16th September, the government published A Smarter Approach to Sentencing - a white paper setting out a number of proposals for changes to sentencing in England and Wales. In this blog, Policy Officer Will Downs provides an overview of how this paper has been developed, what the key proposals are and the steps towards implementation. This white paper will lead to more people in prison and more people in prison for longer, even though there is no evidence that longer sentences make any difference to public safety. We are concerned that there has been a lack of open consultation on the development of these proposals and as such they do not reflect the knowledge held within the voluntary sector. Read more here

    CLINKS BLOG: how the criminal justice voluntary sector is coping

    In this blog, Lauren Nickolls analyses the findings of our latest survey of voluntary sector organisations. Organisations continue to raise increasing concern about the impact that the pandemic is having on people in contact with the criminal justice system and their families. The impact of the pandemic is being exacerbated by a lack of support to prepare people for release and the difficulty accessing statutory services in the community at this time. In the last month, many organisations have begun to increase their service provision again, but a sense of uncertainty among many remains. Some organisations have restarted delivering in-person services but 68% said they would not be doing so in the coming month or were still unsure about doing so. Read more here

    NATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARTS ALLIANCE NEWS: navigating the new normal

    The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) invites you to a virtual hang out [30th September, online, free]. This is an opportunity for the network to come together to meet, discuss, share and learn from each other during these challenging times. We’re six months into the global pandemic, and the future remains uncertain. We’re all in this together, yet it’s different for everyone. At this event, we will discuss how we can continue to rise to the challenges that Covid-19 poses to the arts in criminal justice sector, and how we can look after ourselves and support each other in the coming months. Book your place here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: institutional racism in the criminal justice system

    Olivia Dehnavi, Policy and Research Officer at Working Chance has written a blog on institutional racism in the criminal justice system and how this affects the employment prospects of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women. Working Chance spoke to women about their experiences of racism in the criminal justice system and while looking for employment. What was clear from their responses was that there are strong parallels between the two, and that the disproportionate chance of receiving a conviction or prison sentence compounds discrimination when looking for a job. The blog includes the stories of three women who have experienced racism in the criminal justice system and while job seeking. Read it here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: podcast series

    The Prison Radio Association’s Future Prison podcast series is available now to listen to in full. Future Prison brings people who have been to prison face-to-face with senior figures from the Ministry of Justice to talk about their experience. In the series, you’ll hear direct, honest and hard-hitting stories from young men and women who know what prison life is like. They describe the lowest moments, and the challenges they faced both inside prison and out. They also suggest solutions to some of the key decision makers in the Ministry of Justice, in order to start a dialogue about what the future of criminal justice might look like. Read more and listen here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: youth justice 2020

    The State of Youth Justice 2020, authored by Dr. Tim Bateman for the National Association for Youth Justice, has been published. This third instalment in the series which began in 2015, gives an overview of trends and developments to contribute to knowledge and understanding of the youth justice system in England and Wales. The report notes that whilst there has been a welcome reduction in the number of children entering the youth justice system, the reductions have not benefitted all children equally. As the system has contracted over the last decade, the overrepresentation of minority ethnic children, particularly Black and mixed heritage children, has become more pronounced. Read it here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: starting a business

    The Resume Foundation is offering places on its Project Venture for people who have been in contact with the criminal justice system and women who have taken a career break who would like to start their own business. The project is run in partnership with universities and local businesses to provide a hands-on learning experience. The project will work with King’s College and London South Bank University to deliver the programme in London, and de Montfort University in Leicester. The course is free for all service users and will be run fully online. To apply, please email ellie.benson@resumefoundation.org before 12 pm on Friday 2nd October. Find more information about the course and the business models here

    CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: secondment opportunity

    The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is looking for three voluntary sector experts to join a new project on secondment for two years. The Prison Leavers Project has received £20m to adopt new approaches that address the barriers people face on release from prison to access services and reintegrate into the community. The three roles will be focussed on day of release, health and wellbeing, and community and relationships. Secondments are fully funded and will be based in multi-agency teams, including different government departments, local authorities and voluntary organisations. Successful candidates will continue to spend part of each week embedded in their ‘home organisation’. To find out more information, or to request role descriptions and an expression of interest form, please email prisonleaversproject@justice.gov.uk. The deadline for applications is Friday 9th October.

    CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: probation Exceptional Delivery Models

    Following Tuesday’s announcement by the Prime Minister about the introduction of stricter COVID-19 restrictions, probation services remain at step three of the Probation Roadmap to Recovery. The roadmap is a national framework detailing how restrictions will lift in several steps. Under this national framework, sit Exceptional Delivery Models (EDMs) which give more detailed guidance on different aspects of probation operations and how these will be delivered. In areas where local lockdowns have come into effect, Regional Probation Directors are closely reviewing their exceptional delivery arrangements.

    EDMs can be shared by email on request with voluntary sector organisations working alongside the probation service who want to understand how the easing of restrictions will affect their operations. To request an EDM, please email covid19@clinks.org

    CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: all prisons now at stage three

    All prisons are now at Stage three of the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services and have been gradually easing restrictions over recent weeks. Most prisons have restarted social visits, with certain modifications so they can take place safely. It was also announced earlier in the month that establishments were ready to consider moving to Stage 2 of the framework, allowing them the opportunity to ease restrictions further. Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on Tuesday about further measures to control the spread of the virus, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service will continue to consult with trade unions and other partners. In the meantime, there will be no immediate change to operations in prisons. Prison EDMs can also be shared by email on request with voluntary sector organisations working alongside the prison service who want to understand how the easing of restrictions will affect their operations. To request an EDM, please email covid19@clinks.org

    FUNDING: resilience and recovery

    £4m of blended grants are available from the Resilience and Recovery Loan Fund from Social Investment Business, alongside loans for organisations based in and delivering the majority of their impact in England, who would otherwise not be viable for a loan. The fund is for charities and social enterprises that are improving people’s lives across the UK and is intended for those organisations who face a problem because expected income and activity has been delayed or disrupted. The grants are assessed on a case by case basis, and can be up to 20-40% of the total loan amount. Find out more and apply before 23:59 on 30th September here

    FUNDING: cultural organisations

    The Garfield Weston Foundation has announced a £25m fund to help cultural organisations recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. It will offer grants of between £100,000 and £2m to visual arts organisations, arts centres, museums and galleries with a minimum annual income of £500,000. Applications will be open between 5th October and 9th November. Find out more here

    CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: watch again – in conversation with David Lammy

    To mark the third anniversary of the Lammy Review on 4th September 2020, the Prisoners’ Education Trust and Chair of the Violent Crime Prevention Board, Dr Angela Herbert MBE, talked to Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy about what has changed since the report, in response to its recommendations to develop trust, fairness and responsibility. An expert panel also joined Dr Herbert to share their reflections, considering the links between disadvantage and discrimination in education and in criminal justice, followed by a Q&A. Watch the discussion here

    CAMPAIGN: #NeverMoreNeeded

    In the face of coronavirus, charities are never more needed - for the essential support they provide in crisis and beyond, and how they shape our society for the better. The #NeverMoreNeeded campaign has created a resource pack to help you get involved and raise awareness of the essential support charities provide and how they shape our society for the better. It covers: why this matters; why we are campaigning; who is involved; adding your voice; information and resources; a letter for a MP; and how to contact the campaign. Download it here

    REPORT: prison, probation and sentencing in Wales

    The Wales Governance Centre has produced a factfile providing an up-to-date account of imprisonment, probation and sentencing in Wales. Wales continues to have a higher “in country” imprisonment rate than England and this report looks at other key comparisons, facts, and trends. Key findings include that since the outbreak, there have been a disproportionate number of confirmed Covid-19 infections in the Welsh prison estate. The report also found that 543 people were released from Welsh prisons without a fixed address in 2018/19. In 2019 self-inflicted deaths rose in Welsh prisons, whilst in England this number fell by 12%. In September 2019, there were 279 Welsh women in prison – this is the highest quarterly reading since the Wales Governance Centre began collecting the data in 2013. Read more here

    CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES

    Vacancies on the jobs board this week include: Community Key Worker with ADVANCE [London], Chair of the Board with Circles UK [Reading], Female Mental Health Support Workers with Imagine Independence [Liverpool], Housing Management Worker with Nacro [Sunderland], Administration and Communications Coordinator with Good Vibrations [home-based], Evaluation with Why Me? [home-based], Floating Assistant Support Worker with Changing Lives [Tyne and Wear], Independent Mental Health Advocate with The Advocacy Project [Ealing], Admin and Communications Assistant with Restorative Justice for All [London], Human Rights Adviser with Prisoners Abroad [London]. For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

    TIPS OF THE WEEK

    • Tip I: Double sided children’s wooden easel. £16.50. Details
    • Tip II: Electronic memory game. £8.95. Details
    • Tip III: Four star hotel stay near Edinburgh. Save 39%. Details

    EXTRA INFORMATION

    About Clinks Light Lunch

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