Clinks Task Force
Task Force on User Involvement in the Criminal Justice system
What is it?
A 12-month programme of work to identify and develop opportunities for offenders,
ex-offenders and their families to contribute to the design and delivery of services
and policies that affect them; and to make recommendations to policy makers, opinion
formers and criminal justice organisations about promoting and implementing these.
Why is it needed?
The importance of incorporating the views of service users is well established in
many fields including mental health, urban regeneration and international development.
By contrast, mechanisms through which offenders and their families can shape the policies
and services designed to assist their rehabilitation and reintegration are surprisingly
limited in criminal justice. Currently, examples include prisoner councils, voluntary
sector efforts to engage service users and some engagement work with children in trouble,
but practice is inconsistent and appears particularly weak in aspects of probation
work.
Involving service users is important both as a matter of principle and to ensure that
services are accessible, relevant and effective. The Government have highlighted the
importance of service users in transforming all public services. People in conflict
with the law should retain all civil rights, which are not taken away expressly or
by necessary implication. While the coercive nature of prison and probation pose some
obstacles to user involvement, current research suggests the importance of seeing
offenders as active participants in their own rehabilitation. Increasing user involvement
could therefore lead to reduced re-offending.
What will the Task Force do?
The Task Force will seek evidence about the importance of service user involvement
in criminal justice from a wide variety of stakeholders, including offenders and their
families; study examples of good practice from the UK and abroad and from other areas
of social policy.
The Task Force will consider the scope for user involvement across the stages of criminal
justice - in prevention programmes, in community supervision, in prison and on release;
and across particular themes including housing, debt, employment, mental health, substance
misuse personal development, education, training, advocacy, mentoring, family relationships,
and diversity.
How will the Task Force work?
Rob Allen, Chair of Clinks and Director of the International Centre for Prison Studies,
will chair the Task Force. It will comprise representatives from a small number of
key organisations - UNLOCK, The Prince's Trust, Action for Prisoners Families, the
Prison Reform Trust and Clinks.
The Task Force will be administered and supported by Clinks with Katie Aston, currently
working at the Princes Trust, and an expert of service user engagement, providing
day-to-day leadership and support for the Task Force.
Please contact Katie Aston for further information about the Task Force.
Press Release - 1st Feb 2007
Click to view the Press Release:
Word version pdf version
Register an Interest
Click here
(Word) or here
(pdf) to register your interest with the Task Force.
Contact Details
To contact the Clinks Task Force:
Post: 25 Micklegate, York, YO1 6JH
Email:
email Katie Aston
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