Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 909 | 21 November 2025

Light lunch

In this issue...

MEMBER FOCUS: Rebuilding Futures Alliance

Rebuilding Futures Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation established to create national opportunities for employers, helping place people with low-level, past convictions into full-time, meaningful careers at scale. The initiative brings together a powerful alliance of credible charities, each with a strong track record and a national network of experienced providers. Find out more

CLINKS NEWS: Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller Communities and the Criminal Justice System: what the evidence tells us

The Traveller Movement explore factors contributing to the overrepresentation of Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller people in the justice system in our latest publication - Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller Communities and the Criminal Justice System.

To accompany the evidence review, this webinar [3 December | 12:00 - 13:00 | online | free] will explore key findings and recommendations from the report, providing insight into how policymakers, practitioners, and voluntary sector organisations can improve outcomes for Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller people in contact with the criminal justice system. Register here.

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: when protest becomes a crime

What happens when the government turns protest into a crime?

Transform Justice Podcast episode 53 is titled "Hanging up the high vis? Protesters on trial". Penelope Gibbs is joined by Sarah Lunnon, an organiser with Just Stop Oil, and Audrey Mogan, a criminal barrister who has defended protesters in court. Together, they unpack how these new laws are being applied in practice and the impact on direct action groups, individual rights, and the future of protest. Listen in here

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: National writing competition

Arkbound has launched their 2025 UK-wide National Writing Competition for people with experience of incarceration.

Please encourage people you work with to submit an entry of up to 1000 words, of their story or a poem on the theme of “Belonging”

  • The top 50 selected entries will get published in Arkbound's upcoming book “Belonging” in 2026
  • The top three entries receive a cash prize of £30 - or credited to their HMP accounts
  • The next five top scoring entries will receive £15 - in the same way
  • Every entry will receive a ‘thank you’ certificate from Arkbound Foundation
  • Everyone can apply to join the "Writers Within Walls" free mentorship programme
  • Winning entries will receive a free copy of the publication, featuring them as author.
  • Participating prisons will receive the book to display in their libraries

For more please download and print off this information leaflet and you can also check out the past publications here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: Insights25 - Curious about coaching?

  • Join Coaching Inside and Out’s interactive lunchtime workshop [25 November | 10:00 - 11:30 | online | free] for simple practical ways to boost energy and free up time.
  • Join Spark Inside to hear about their work coaching officers and governors in prisons [26 November | 12:30 - 14:00 | online | free].

Both events will help you identify what challenges coaching can help you transform and how we can all make change happen. Get your tickets here

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: Annual Pub Quiz

Prisoners' Advice Service (PAS) is hosting their annual London Legal Support Trust, pub quiz [27 November | 18:00 | The Betsey Trotwood pub in Farringdon | £10 - £30]. Reserve your place by e-mailing list@prisonersadvice.org.uk

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: Celebrating 30 years of the Irene Taylor Trust

Pioneering prison arts charity the Irene Taylor Trust, also known as ‘Music in Prisons’, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month with a special performance event [28 November | 19:00 | Rich Mix London, E1 6LA | pay-what-you-can], which will also be available to livestream.

The show will include live original music by musicians from its ‘Sounding Out’ programme for prison leavers and highlights from ‘Music in Prisons’, celebrating three decades of life-changing music projects in prisons and the community. There will be live BSL interpretation throughout the evening. Find out more and book to join the London event here. If you can't make it, register for the livestream here

FUNDING: London Mayor’s Office 

A new funding initiative for London-based organisations working with women and girls impacted by or at risk of violence and exploitation has been launched by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) in London. The Girls and Young Women Local Groups Fund in London, overseen by Social Finance in partnership with local specialist organisations Abianda and Agenda Alliance, aims to strengthen both direct support and the evidence base on what works, by offering grants to London-based community groups already working with women and girls impacted by violence and exploitation. The fund will open for applications in January 2026, but they’re keen to hear from interested organisations now. Find out more, and register your interest here to sign up for the market engagement webinar [27 November | 11:00 - 12:00 | online | free]. 

PUBLICATION: Ethnicity, gender, remand, plea and sentencing

The ADR UK report shows clear ethnic disparities at key stages of the criminal justice process. Men and women from most ethnic minority groups are more likely to be remanded in custody than white British people, and minority defendants are also more likely to plead not guilty. Both factors strongly increase the chance of receiving a custodial sentence. Men from black, mixed and other minority backgrounds face the highest odds of imprisonment, even after accounting for age, offence type and prior convictions.

These early decision points create cumulative disadvantage and contribute to poorer outcomes on release, reinforcing the need for fairer processes and better support for those affected. Read the report here

PUBLICATION: Research on making court fines fairer

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in England and Wales are fined in the criminal courts. Last year, fines represented 75% of all sentences. Our criminal court fines system is meant to be simple and fair, ensuring people are proportionately punished for breaking the law. However, for many, these fines are not a proportionate punishment but the start of a cycle of debt, distress and deeper contact with the justice system.

Drawing together three years of research, this week the Centre for Justice Innovation launched new research on what can be done to make our court fines system fairer, more proportionate and more effective:

A fairer and more effective system for fines and financial orders in magistrates’ courts
This report looks at ways of improving the court and payment processes, proposing six key changes to the system of fines and financial orders in magistrates’ courts. Read the report here

Justice in arrears: Policy options beyond the court fine
This report looks at more radical policy reforms and the use of alternative punishments when people are unable to pay fines, proposing solutions more likely to result in reduced crime, greater victim satisfaction and less cost to the taxpayer. Access it here

Paying for for justice: How our court fines system tips the scales
This briefing draws together our research over 3 years and explains how the current fines system is failing, and what can be done to make it fairer, more proportionate and more effective. Access it here

PUBLICATION: Finding meaning behind bars

"Finding Meaning Behind Bars: Activities for Older Prisoners in England and Wales", has just been released as part of the Hope Project.

Commissioned by Recoop and authored by Marion Vannier, Helen Gair, and Vlad-George Zaha from the University of Manchester, the report draws on 12 months of fieldwork across three prisons in England and Wales. It offers actionable recommendations and an immediately usable toolkit for staff and management. Its central aim is to rethink current approaches that prioritise “purposeful activity” and instead focus on what older prisoners themselves find to be meaningful activities. 

This new focus will undoubtedly benefit ageing individuals in prison, but also the staff and management who work alongside them, parole and probation teams, and ultimately the wider community upon release. Read the report here

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES:

Housing Support Worker with Social Interest Group [£27,000, Brent (HA9 0AB), full time]; Head of Influencing with Switchback [£51,436 – £57,151, E1 6BD, full time]; Volunteer Helpline Advisor with Unlock [voluntary, Maidstone, Kent, part time]; Community Keyworker – Hampshire with ADVANCE [£23,000 – £27,000, Portsmouth, full time]; Prison Facilitator – HMP Bristol with Shannon Trust [£28,274, HMP Bristol, part time]; Therapeutic Recovery Worker with Phoenix Futures [£26,637, OX5 1PB, full time]; Group Facilitator with Change, grow, live (CGL) [£27,861 – £32,002, HMP Liverpool, full time]; Steering Group Members with Restorative Justice for All International Institute [voluntary, SE16, part time]; Non-Executive Director – Treasurer with Restorative Justice for All International Institute [£50, remote/UK/EU, part time].

For more information about these vacancies, and many more, click here

READS OF THE WEEK:

EXTRA INFORMATION:

About Clinks Light Lunch

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