Clinks Light Lunch | Issue 871 | 07 March 2025

Light lunch

In this issue...

CLINKS NEWS: membership renewals

We want to take a moment to thank all our members for their continued support, and the vital work you do, to change lives across the criminal justice system. Whether you’re working in prisons, probation, or communities, your impact is invaluable, and we’re proud to support you in making a difference.  

Clinks membership renewals take place annually on 1 April, and we’ve been in touch with our members to help prepare for this process. To ensure we have the right information, we’ve sent a short online form to membership contacts. This will allow you to confirm your details, request an invoice (if required), and help us ensure the renewal process runs smoothly. We kindly ask our members yet to complete this form to submit it to us as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or updates about your membership, or if you haven't received a link to the renewal form, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at membership@clinks.org.  

If you/your organisation is not yet a Clinks member, now is a great time to join our network and access the support, resources, and connections on offer. You can find out more and sign up at www.clinks.org/membership

CLINKS NEWS: Sentencing Council on pregnancy and early motherhood

The Sentencing Council has published its ‘revised imposition of community and custodial sentences guideline’. 

Following successful advocacy from Clinks members, including Birth Companions, the guideline now incorporates specific recognition of the risks ‘posed to pregnant women, mothers and their babies by time in prison’. Birth Companions has also highlighted that the guideline ‘identifies the need for comprehensive pre-sentence reports to inform decision-making’, as well as prioritising the use of community sentences, while directing courts to ‘address the issues relating to pregnancy and early motherhood when giving reasons for the sentence.’ Read the revised imposition of community and custodial sentences guideline

CLINKS NEWS: Lay Observers 2023-24 Annual Report

The Lay Observers 2023-24 Annual Report has been released, highlighting key issues in the treatment and transportation of people in custody. The report raises concerns about:

  • Overcrowding and delays in moving individuals between courts and prisons.
  • Poor conditions in court custody suites, including inadequate facilities.
  • Risks to wellbeing, with reports of vulnerable people not receiving appropriate care.

The Lay Observers provide independent scrutiny of court custody and prisoner transport to ensure fair and humane treatment. Their recommendations call for urgent improvements to uphold human rights and dignity.

Read the full report: Lay Observers 2023-24 Annual Report

MEMBER FOCUS: X-Ceed Transition 

X-Ceed Transition's key purpose is to benefit the public. Their core aim is to be the bridge for change, where possible, by providing a service that will help to prevent or relieve poverty, improve education, advance religion and health. 

The support and relief is for people assess as being in need due to age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantages. Find out more about X-Ceed Transition

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: 1001 days from conception, a call for change

Birth Companions has launched its latest campaign, 1001 Days in the CJS - a better approach to pregnancy and early motherhood in criminal justice. It calls for an ambitious new approach to pregnancy, birth and early motherhood across the whole criminal justice system.

Evidence shows that what happens in the first 1001 days from conception to a child’s second birthday lays the foundations for their long-term physical and mental health and wellbeing. Yet the criminal justice system – policing, courts, prison and probation – is ill-equipped to deal with this critical period in the lives of mothers and their babies. This is creating huge risks to women, and the life chances of their children.

That’s why the charity is calling for a radically different approach to the 1001 days across the CJS, through significant changes to policy and practice. Follow the campaign

CLINKS MEMBER’S NEWS: Experts by experience - a survey on recall

Switchback's Experts by Experience board are researching the issue of recall. They have co-designed this survey on personal experiences of recall to learn more about the experiences people on probation have regarding prison recall. Please kindly forward the link on to your staff, or the clients you support, who might be willing to share their experiences around recall. The survey will take around 10 minutes to complete.

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: Breaking out of the justice loop 

The National Women’s Justice Coalition (NWJC) is partnering with the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS) to  launch a new report: Breaking Out of the Justice Loop: Creating a Criminal Justice System That Works for Women. 

The report, by Naomi Delap (Director, Birth Companions) & Liz Hogarth OBE (Independent Women’s Justice Expert) will be published on [10 March] and it explores critical issues in the women’s justice system and presents practical solutions for meaningful reform.

To mark its release, NWJC and CCJS will host an online discussion event [18 March, 12:30 – 13:30, online]. Join the conversation and explore its themes and recommendations. Register here: Breaking out of the justice loop

CLINKS MEMBER’S EVENT: International Women's Day

Join Women in Prison for a vital conversation to mark International Women's Day [13 March, 11:00, online, free] about the future of women’s justice. The expert panel includes Dame Vera Baird KC, Kate Osamor MP, and Women in Prison’s Head of Practice, Kate Fraser. Moderated by CEO Sonya Ruparel. The panel will explore the challenges facing women in the justice system and the solutions we need to push for real change. Register now

CLINKS MEMBER’S TRAINING: How to develop Trauma-informed policies

One Small Thing are running a half-day online course [20 March, online, registration begins at 9:00, with the training running from 9:30 - 13:00, £95+VAT per person] designed to support participants to look at their organisational existing policies, consider what might be amended from a trauma-informed perspective, and think through the development of new trauma-informed policies. The workshop objectives are to support participants to have:

  • A clear understanding of what you already have in place
  • What needs to be developed
  • What is required to embed trauma-informed policies across the organisation 

Find out more and/or register here

CLINKS MEMBER’S TRAINING: Exploring forgiveness and criminal justice 

We are excited to invite you to join our Creative Lead, Sandra Barefoot, Creative Strategist, Jacob Dunne, eminent forensic psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Adshead, and two of our storytellers, Anne-Marie Cockburn and Dunia Shafik, for an online inquiry exploring forgiveness and criminal justice [13 March, 17:00 - 18:30, online, donate-what-you-can tickets, starting at £5]

These topics have been some of our core investigations over the past 20 years, particularly in our prison programme, RESTORE. Forgiveness is as difficult to grapple with in these spaces as it is in the public domain, and it leads us to contemplate - ‘are we more than the worst thing we have ever done?’ Register here

CLINKS MEMBER’S TRAINING: Quality training for making a difference

Society Matters CIC believes in making a difference, not just in the training they offer, but in the lives of those they serve. That’s why their prices are consistently affordable, while maintaining exceptional quality. Please follow the links below to register.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: Delivering the best for girls in custody

Susannah Hancock’s independent review into placements and care for girls in youth custody, commissioned by the Minister for Youth Justice, has published its findings. The key recommendation is for the permanent barring of the use of young offender institutions (YOIs) to detain girls sentenced to custody. Delivering the Best for Girls in Custody sets out plans to improve the care and rehabilitation of girls in the youth justice system.

The report highlights:

  • The unique challenges faced by girls in custody.
  • The need for tailored support to address trauma, safety, and wellbeing.
  • Recommendations for reform, including better placement options and safeguarding practices.

The findings aim to shape a more effective, trauma-informed approach that prioritises rehabilitation over punishment for girls in custody. Read the full report: Delivering the Best for Girls in Custody

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: The educational journeys of children in secure settings

The Children’s Commissioner has published a new report examining the educational experiences of children in secure settings. The study highlights significant challenges faced by young people in custody, including disruptions to their education, limited access to specialist support, and poor post-release opportunities.

Key findings:

  • Many children in secure settings have experienced trauma, exclusion, and special educational needs (SEN).
  • Educational provision varies widely, with some children receiving little structured learning.
  • Greater investment in education, tailored support, and post-custody opportunities is needed to improve outcomes.

The report calls for urgent reform to ensure that children in secure settings receive consistent, high-quality education to support their rehabilitation and reintegration. Read the report: The Educational Journeys of Children in Secure Settings

CLINKS MEMBERS’ VACANCIES:

Support Worker with The Growth Company [£27,500, Liverpool, full time]; Service Manager - CRS Personal Wellbeing with The Growth Company [£42,000, Merseyside, full time]; Communications Coordinator with The Howard League for Penal Reform [£34,608 - £37,583, Central London, part time]; Administrator with St Giles Trust [£22,000, Wrexham, Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, part time]; Family Support Worker with Ormiston Families [£21,840, HMP Chelmsford Visitors’ Centre, part time]; Library Assistant/Prison Facilitator - Bank Staff with Shannon Trust [£28,274, Bristol area, part time]; Administration & Finance Officer with WISH - A Voice for Women's Mental Health [£31,190, London, part time]; Mentor Advocacy with The Wise Group [£25,664, Merseyside or Cheshire, full time]; Finance and Resources Administrator with Women in Prison [£26,702, Shoreditch, part time]; Governance and Compliance Manager with Basis Yorkshire [£32,960, Leeds city centre, part time].

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

READS OF THE WEEK:

EXTRA INFORMATION:

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